Access to tissue resources for research

The British Neuropathology Society has recognised that a unified access to the vast archives of Neuropathology departments across the country needs to be unlocked. Led by Southampton University, a virtual brain bank, brain UK (https://www.southampton.ac.uk/brainuk) was established in 2012, and the Division of Neuropathology at NHNN is part of this network. We have between 2015 and 2022 provided diagnostic archival material (paraffin blocks and frozen samples) to 37 studies through this pathway. Of these, 17 projects were conducted at UCL, including IoN (14) DRI (1), ICH (2); and 3 at the Crick and 2 at ICR. The remaining studies were conducted elsewhere in the UK or abroad. These studies included over 1500 tissue samples, and so far resulted in at least 80 publications. Cases included neurodegeneration, brain tumours, neuromuscular samples, or neurovascular including covid 19.

The process works as follows (see also Brain UK guidance):

• Get in touch with one of our consultants for advice regarding your research project. Discuss the availability of tissue samples, constraints and opportunities for your project. We can give estimates of histology cost as well as tissue provision and retrieval cost for your project.
• Download the application form and read the guidance on the Brain UK website
• Complete the application form with guidance from us and submit to Brain UK
• After 2-4 weeks, Brain UK will get back with approval or feedback for a revision.
• Establish an MTA between UCL/UCLH joint research office and the research organisation where the project will take place. We provide MTA forms and we will submit them to our contacts. 
• Once the formalities are completed, we can help you retrieve the tissue but also cut sections, perform stainings, slide digitisation and image analysis, through our facility UCL IQPath.

We can provide: Tissue samples formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded FFPE (all tissue types), and frozen material (muscle biopsies, brain tumour biopsies). In addition to tissue samples, we can also provide digital images (whole slide images) through the same mechanism.

Any advice regarding procuring human tissue for research projects can be given by our neuropathology consultants, to maximise the value of the diagnostic tissue collections for research projects.

What does it cost to access our tissues? We follow guidance issued by the Medical Research Council for recommended tariffs.  

Please contact members of the Division of Neuropathology for advice and guidance. Initial contact can be established through UCLH.office.neuropathology@nhs.net or ucl.iqpath@ucl.ac.uk