Frequently Asked Questions

From Researchers and from patients

Do we need ethical approval from NRES?

Researchers receiving samples from ETHICAL TISSUE are not required to have individual project based ethical approval from NRES, providing that the use of human material is approved by the Independent Scientific Advisory Committee – see section 'Applying for Bio-samples ’.

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Do we need a licence from the Human Tissue Authority for working with this tissue?

Researchers using samples provided by ETHICAL TISSUE are not required to work under a Human Tissue Authority (HTA) licence, providing a Material Transfer Agreement (Supply Agreement) between the research group and ETHICAL TISSUE has been signed.

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What tissue is available for biomedical research?

All human tissues can be accessed, other than foetal and gonad tissue.  Tissue samples and other biological material are collected from both living and deceased donors. Depending on the requirement of the study, the tissue samples will be supplied to the researcher as follows:

  • fresh in perfusion solution on melting ice
  • as snap frozen dissected components in liquid nitrogen or on dry ice
  • as cryostat frozen sections
  • isolated cells either growing in tissue culture medium or frozen down as cell pellets
  • tissue homogenates (fresh or frozen at -80C and on melting ice or dry ice as appropriate)
  • formalin preserved wax embedded tissue blocks,tissue sections on microscope slides, tissue microarray blocks or tissue microarray tissue sections
  • resin embedded samples
  • extracted DNA, RNA or protein samples

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Is there a cost for supplying human tissue?

All researchers seeking access to human tissue will be required to pay a cost recovery fee based on the cost of receiving, storing, processing and delivery of each donation. Cost recovery also includes maintaining the office that supports the administration of the supply of all human tissues and laboratory infrastructure essential to tissue handling and analysis. 

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As a patient, if I am approached in hospital and asked to donate tissue for biomedical research, do I have to take part?

It is entirely your decision whether or not to donate your tissue for biomedical research. If you do decide to take part, you will be given an information leaflet that explains what will happen and you will be asked to sign a consent form.

Donation of tissue is a gift, so when you sign the consent form you will give ownership of any research samples collected to ETHICAL TISSUE who will store the samples for an indefinite period of time and will be able to decide how they will be used for research.

ETHICAL TISSUE will also take responsibility for the disposal of any unused stored tissue or products derived from the tissue in an appropriate and ethical manner following normal hospital methods.

If you decide to take part you are still free to withdraw at any time and you don’t have to provide a reason. This decision will NOT affect the standard of care you receive from the hospital.

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What happens if I change my mind and want to withdraw my samples?

You can withdraw by writing to ETHICAL TISSUE, The ICT Bioincubator, Tumbling Hill Street, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP.

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As a patient what about donor confidentiality?

Your hospital, is in charge of making sure that information about you remains strictly confidential. No identifying information is included or stored with your sample before it is recorded on the tissue bank database and is NOT given out to researchers. A code number will identify your sample, and neither you nor your relatives will ever be identified or contacted. All stored data is covered by the Data Protection Act. For further information, please contact the Head of ETHICAL TISSUE.

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