Principles and practice of ‘high risk’ brain banking

Abstract

The storage of tissues obtained from patients with clinically documented and neuropathologically validated diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), and from well-chosen control cases, forms a valuable resource for present and future research needs. In particular, it facilitates immediate application of new investigative technology as this becomes available. To maximize their usefulness it is desirable to store tissues in a variety of different forms, including fixed and frozen samples. However, storage of infective dementias poses special problems (including risk to future users) since the infective agent may well survive long-term storage at -70 degrees C. Guidelines for optimal storage of such tissues should conform with safety, but should not be so prescriptive as to deter pathologists who do not have access to sophisticated brain banking resources. This article provides information about tissue storage from infective CNS diseases for pathologists who may require to retain frozen and other samples from such autopsies either occasionally or on a regular basis. Guidelines are offered for banking tissues from cases infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis viruses and prions. With detailed description of procedures for acquisition, storage and transparent of high-risk samples. Safety issues and protocols for response to accidental injury involving exposure to these agents are highlighted in this article.

PrP glycoforms are associated in a strain-specific ratio in native PrPSc

“…A standard PrP Sc detection protocol was used (Bell & Ironside, 1997). Briefly, formaldehyde (10 %) fixed brains were immersed in 98 % formic acid for 1 h to denature infectious prions.…”

High throughput analysis of gene expression in the human brain

“…Viruses may induce apoptosis (Petito and Roberts, 1995) or other host responses, thus complicating gene expression studies. Laboratory procedures have been developed to handle high-risk viruses and transmissible human spongiform encephalopathies in neuropathology studies (Bell and Ironside, 1997), and these guidelines should be applied by researchers conducting gene expression studies with human samples. In particular, "universal precautions" must always be followed (Hutchins et al, 1994).…”

The National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium:a new paradigm in brain banking with an emphasis on infectious disease

“…Well‐characterized human brains have great utility in studies of HIV neuropathogenesis and studies relating to adequate treatment aimed at eliminating CNS viral reservoirs. Despite their importance in the ultimate validation of current treatment regimens and theories of disease, there have been no major American efforts to provide systematic mechanisms for infectious specimen accrual and distribution, and we are aware of only two European brain banks with a focus on HIV‐related disease [2,4]. In contrast, well‐developed worldwide brain banks with emphases on non‐infectious, neurodegenerative and demyelinating disorders have become an important resource for the neuroscience community [12].…”