[Source: Luxemburger Wort (via Google Translate)] - (fh) - About 200 biobanks exist in Europe. The new Integrated biobank of Luxembourg (IBBL), which yesterday the press was presented, differs in two respects from other tissue banks: in addition to the collection and storage of biological samples (tissue, tumors, blood, urine, saliva ...) leads the IBBL also analyzes and stores this addition is a national project, which represents an independent unit. The samples or data of research made available. The IBBL is part of the biotechnology project in the field of molecular medicine, the 140 million euros over five years will cost and also the creation of a Center for Systems Biology and the implementation of a cancer research project covers. The goal of the biotech project is among other things, one day, drugs and therapies targeted to be able to treat patients more efficiently and reduce costs. Founded as the IBBL by CRPs Santé, Henri Tudor and Gabriel Lippmann and the University of Luxembourg. Has inspired a look at biobank model of the company "Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), by Dr. Jeffrey Trent, which, in Phoenix in the U.S. state of Arizona is located. The IBBL has the shape of a foundation. Your Board includes nine persons.Chairman of the Board is Dr. Jean-Claude Schmit, director of the CRP Santé. IBBL to include also a Board of Directors, an external ethics committee, a scientific project evaluation committee, a scientific council and a monitoring committee for the hospitals and the National Health Laboratory. Hospitals are important partners of the country and the wider region.
Strict conditions
The biobank itself has no research. It mainly manages data to interested researchers. If samples are made available, then only under very strict conditions. Each research project must be ethically tested and approved. The donations are voluntary, donors may withdraw their consent at any time.
If desired they can test for a special project available. The data of the donors are encrypted on several levels - the technology is called de-identification. It plays a so-called trusted third party, it still applies to define an important role. This alone can, if necessary, the data back together. This could for example be necessary if one for the health of the donor beneficial discovery is made.
In contact with the doctors
In Luxembourg, 200 people are annually diagnosed with lung cancer, but only a few surgery. These operations are carried out in two hospitals of the country. The IBBL is in contact with the concerned physicians, their patients about a possible use by the tissue biobank information. In addition, samples of healthy individuals to be collected. This is a call made via the press. Soon more information www.ibbl.lu available.
Showing posts with label Tissue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tissue. Show all posts
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Behind-the-scenes peek at brain research
[Source: Erin Zlomek, The Arizona Republic] - Chunks of human brain tissue, the telltale grooves still visible, soak in 1,000 formaldehyde-filled plastic tubs in a closet at Sun City's Sun Health Research Institute. Next door, researchers poke paper-thin neck arteries with special instruments.
All are on display for anyone curious to peek. But it's worth noting that at some point, the ones peeking usually become the pokers and brain donors.
"More than 80 percent of (our visitors) are engaged in science enough that they want to contribute more, in whatever way, whether it be volunteering time or becoming involved in a clinical trial," institute spokesman Brian Browne said.
Those curious observers are partly responsible for the center's blockbuster 2007-08 year. The non-profit, which specializes in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, arthritis and dementia research, finished a $5.5 million building expansion in April 2007.
The new digs allowed the institute to more than double its annual visitor capacity from about 545 in 2006-07 to 1,225 in 2007-08.
Because many visitors form relationships with the institute thereafter, this year's larger tour groups fast became a vehicle for bringing in contributions and fueling growth. The 90-minute guided visits are free, held the first Tuesday of each month. Tours require a reservation.
Once the new wing opened and larger tours started at 10515 W. Santa Fe Drive, monetary and body donations spiked nearly 50 percent.
The facility can now accommodate groups from six local high schools, compared with just two in the past. This has led to the addition of nine student interns.
Volunteerism peaked, too. The facility landed a handful of new volunteers, bringing its roster to about 20. Though the volunteer pool is modest, Browne said each must have highly specialized skills (many are retired nurses and physicians), making any new addition a major accomplishment.
The institute's volunteer program was recently profiled by a Chinese government television station for a piece about recruiting skilled volunteers to work at the coming Beijing Olympic Games.
Browne also credits the increased interest to attention brought to Alzheimer's disease this year.
In June, Alzheimer's surpassed diabetes as the sixth leading cause of death in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That hits home in Arizona, where many retirees and seniors live.
Within a 10-mile radius of the institute, more than 8,000 people are living with the disease in Surprise, Sun City, Sun City West and Youngtown, said Deborah Schaus, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association Desert Southwest Chapter.
Still, not all guests who pass through the institute's doors are science aficionados, and some are uneasy when it comes to donating remains.
Sun City resident Ty Dale said that donating was a challenging decision when his family had medical power of attorney for his mother.
Dale's mother, Mary Elizabeth Dale, died of Alzheimer's in February. She was 78.
"Immediately after her death, they did the autopsy and harvested - though I hate that word - her brain," Dale said. "Mom was more than just a number. But who knows, it could benefit her grandkids one day if this disease turns out to be hereditary. I'll feel closure someday if something good comes from it."
All are on display for anyone curious to peek. But it's worth noting that at some point, the ones peeking usually become the pokers and brain donors.
"More than 80 percent of (our visitors) are engaged in science enough that they want to contribute more, in whatever way, whether it be volunteering time or becoming involved in a clinical trial," institute spokesman Brian Browne said.
Those curious observers are partly responsible for the center's blockbuster 2007-08 year. The non-profit, which specializes in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, arthritis and dementia research, finished a $5.5 million building expansion in April 2007.
The new digs allowed the institute to more than double its annual visitor capacity from about 545 in 2006-07 to 1,225 in 2007-08.
Because many visitors form relationships with the institute thereafter, this year's larger tour groups fast became a vehicle for bringing in contributions and fueling growth. The 90-minute guided visits are free, held the first Tuesday of each month. Tours require a reservation.
Once the new wing opened and larger tours started at 10515 W. Santa Fe Drive, monetary and body donations spiked nearly 50 percent.
The facility can now accommodate groups from six local high schools, compared with just two in the past. This has led to the addition of nine student interns.
Volunteerism peaked, too. The facility landed a handful of new volunteers, bringing its roster to about 20. Though the volunteer pool is modest, Browne said each must have highly specialized skills (many are retired nurses and physicians), making any new addition a major accomplishment.
The institute's volunteer program was recently profiled by a Chinese government television station for a piece about recruiting skilled volunteers to work at the coming Beijing Olympic Games.
Browne also credits the increased interest to attention brought to Alzheimer's disease this year.
In June, Alzheimer's surpassed diabetes as the sixth leading cause of death in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That hits home in Arizona, where many retirees and seniors live.
Within a 10-mile radius of the institute, more than 8,000 people are living with the disease in Surprise, Sun City, Sun City West and Youngtown, said Deborah Schaus, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association Desert Southwest Chapter.
Still, not all guests who pass through the institute's doors are science aficionados, and some are uneasy when it comes to donating remains.
Sun City resident Ty Dale said that donating was a challenging decision when his family had medical power of attorney for his mother.
Dale's mother, Mary Elizabeth Dale, died of Alzheimer's in February. She was 78.
"Immediately after her death, they did the autopsy and harvested - though I hate that word - her brain," Dale said. "Mom was more than just a number. But who knows, it could benefit her grandkids one day if this disease turns out to be hereditary. I'll feel closure someday if something good comes from it."
Pima College medical-tissue program in jeopardy
[Source: Dale Quinn, Arizona Daily Star] - Pima Community College could scrap its program in histotechnology — a field that involves studying tissue under a microscope — and that possibility has some medical officials worried that a shortage of technicians could delay patient diagnoses.
The five-year-old program, seen as a valuable source of much-needed laboratory technicians, trains students in how to prepare slides with thinly sliced tissue samples that can be examined to diagnose disease.
Histology technicians are used by the medical and veterinary fields, as well as for research for private industry.
"We've kind of become dependent on the people coming out of the Pima College program because we're always on the lookout for qualified histotechnologists," said Dr. David Henley, medical director for the Northwest Medical Center's laboratory. The need, Henley said, is heightened as the technicians are lured from hospital labs to higher-paying jobs doing research for private companies.
The future of the program, which is based at Pima's West Campus at 2202 W. Anklam Road, hasn't been decided. It hinges on the ability to find a qualified director, said college spokesman Dave Irwin.
The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Services, which requires it to have a program director who is nationally certified in histotechnology, or, if the program director is not certified, there must be a certified education coordinator who is an employee or working in a documented contractual relationship.
To meet that requirement, the college has "patched it together with part-time people," said Louis Albert, president of Pima Community College's West Campus. But college administrators think the program deserves a full-time director and, so far, a yearlong search has been fruitless, he said.
A candidate for the position must have a bachelor's degree and certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology, Irwin said. The salary ranges from $40,000 to $50,000 depending on experience and education, he said.
If Pima Community College can't fulfill the necessary accreditation requirements, the program will be in jeopardy, Albert said.
It's also currently under program review, in which campus officials look at enrollment levels, financial viability and employment opportunities for graduates. All low-enrollment, high-cost programs are periodically put under review, and the histology program is one of those, Albert said.
"There is an enrollment issue, although we accept that it's never going to be a large program," Albert said. Still, the main concern for the college has been the inability to find a full-time director, he said.
There are five students already enrolled to begin the two-year program in the fall, and more students may have been accepted into the program who haven't registered, Irwin said. The college will provide the necessary faculty and classes to teach those students, Irwin said. Typically 15 to 20 students are enrolled in the program, he said.
But the question of whether the program will accept new students after the fall semester remains, Irwin said.
One recent graduate, Kristin Sweetser, 29, said she was stunned when she heard from other students that the program might get canceled. Sweetser is now a histotechnologist at Northwest Medical Center Oro Valley.
"It's not good news," she said. "I'm actually looking to move out of state, and when I'm looking and applying in different places they want you to have an associate's degree along with the certification."
Graduates from Pima Community College's program have their associate degrees and, because the program is accredited, the ability to become certified by American Society for Clinical Pathology.
Both factors are often a requirement for finding a job, Albert said.
The concern over losing the program is serious enough that surgical pathology managers from the University Medical Center sent a letter, dated June 11, to Pima Community College administrators and its board of governors appealing that they keep the program.
"The PCC histology technician program has always produced well-founded student graduates that are sought after," the letter says. "UMC has hired one and as we expand we would like to hire more."
Ventana Medical Systems, which develops technology for use in slide-based diagnosis of cancer and infectious disease, also relies on histotechs, and officials there have voiced concerns about losing graduates from PCC.
Using tissue samples selected by pathologists, the histotechnologists slice the specimens to microscopic proportions and stain them with substances that make it possible to see differences in cell structure.
Their technical abilities play a vital role in the medical process, and losing the histology program at Pima College could create a crisis situation in a doctor's ability to diagnose illness promptly, said Jim Pond, UMC's histopathology supervisor.
The demand for histology technicians will only increase in coming years as those currently in the field get older and retire, Pond said.
"For a while Tucson enjoyed the ability to hire qualified people (locally), and pretty soon that's not going to be the case" if PCC cancels the program, he said.
The five-year-old program, seen as a valuable source of much-needed laboratory technicians, trains students in how to prepare slides with thinly sliced tissue samples that can be examined to diagnose disease.
Histology technicians are used by the medical and veterinary fields, as well as for research for private industry.
"We've kind of become dependent on the people coming out of the Pima College program because we're always on the lookout for qualified histotechnologists," said Dr. David Henley, medical director for the Northwest Medical Center's laboratory. The need, Henley said, is heightened as the technicians are lured from hospital labs to higher-paying jobs doing research for private companies.
The future of the program, which is based at Pima's West Campus at 2202 W. Anklam Road, hasn't been decided. It hinges on the ability to find a qualified director, said college spokesman Dave Irwin.
The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Services, which requires it to have a program director who is nationally certified in histotechnology, or, if the program director is not certified, there must be a certified education coordinator who is an employee or working in a documented contractual relationship.
To meet that requirement, the college has "patched it together with part-time people," said Louis Albert, president of Pima Community College's West Campus. But college administrators think the program deserves a full-time director and, so far, a yearlong search has been fruitless, he said.
A candidate for the position must have a bachelor's degree and certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology, Irwin said. The salary ranges from $40,000 to $50,000 depending on experience and education, he said.
If Pima Community College can't fulfill the necessary accreditation requirements, the program will be in jeopardy, Albert said.
It's also currently under program review, in which campus officials look at enrollment levels, financial viability and employment opportunities for graduates. All low-enrollment, high-cost programs are periodically put under review, and the histology program is one of those, Albert said.
"There is an enrollment issue, although we accept that it's never going to be a large program," Albert said. Still, the main concern for the college has been the inability to find a full-time director, he said.
There are five students already enrolled to begin the two-year program in the fall, and more students may have been accepted into the program who haven't registered, Irwin said. The college will provide the necessary faculty and classes to teach those students, Irwin said. Typically 15 to 20 students are enrolled in the program, he said.
But the question of whether the program will accept new students after the fall semester remains, Irwin said.
One recent graduate, Kristin Sweetser, 29, said she was stunned when she heard from other students that the program might get canceled. Sweetser is now a histotechnologist at Northwest Medical Center Oro Valley.
"It's not good news," she said. "I'm actually looking to move out of state, and when I'm looking and applying in different places they want you to have an associate's degree along with the certification."
Graduates from Pima Community College's program have their associate degrees and, because the program is accredited, the ability to become certified by American Society for Clinical Pathology.
Both factors are often a requirement for finding a job, Albert said.
The concern over losing the program is serious enough that surgical pathology managers from the University Medical Center sent a letter, dated June 11, to Pima Community College administrators and its board of governors appealing that they keep the program.
"The PCC histology technician program has always produced well-founded student graduates that are sought after," the letter says. "UMC has hired one and as we expand we would like to hire more."
Ventana Medical Systems, which develops technology for use in slide-based diagnosis of cancer and infectious disease, also relies on histotechs, and officials there have voiced concerns about losing graduates from PCC.
Using tissue samples selected by pathologists, the histotechnologists slice the specimens to microscopic proportions and stain them with substances that make it possible to see differences in cell structure.
Their technical abilities play a vital role in the medical process, and losing the histology program at Pima College could create a crisis situation in a doctor's ability to diagnose illness promptly, said Jim Pond, UMC's histopathology supervisor.
The demand for histology technicians will only increase in coming years as those currently in the field get older and retire, Pond said.
"For a while Tucson enjoyed the ability to hire qualified people (locally), and pretty soon that's not going to be the case" if PCC cancels the program, he said.
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