Edinburgh Brain and Tissue Bank

科学研究的最终目的是改善公众的健康和福祉。要做到这一点，我们需要了解疾病的机制，这样我们就可以尝试开发新的治疗方法。尤其是神经系统疾病，不仅会给患者本人，也会给护理人员带来相当大的痛苦。为了更好地理解疾病过程，需要对动物模型进行研究，试图找出疾病的机制，然后将这些机制转化为人类环境。正是在这种翻译中，收集的人体材料，在得到近亲完全同意的情况下，在尸检中获得，是无价的。正是通过将组织捐赠给科学研究，一些护理人员能够从家庭成员的死亡中获得内心的平静。多年来，人们一直在收集长期神经系统疾病（如痴呆症和多发性硬化症）患者的脑组织，爱丁堡是国际公认的朊病毒脑库中心。在突然死亡的情况下，由于死亡的意外性和往往由于所涉个人的年轻，往往会更强烈地感受到丧亲之痛，将组织捐赠给科学研究以前不是近亲可以选择的。MRC资助的爱丁堡大脑和组织库提供了这样的机会。尽管许多突然死亡的人在死亡时可能没有神经系统疾病，但与已确诊神经系统疾病的人的大脑相比，他们的组织可以提供有价值的信息。正常脑组织的这种控制功能对所有脑部疾病的研究都是必不可少的，与从脑部疾病中获取组织同样重要。此外，在医院尸检环境中很少遇到的情况也出现在猝死的情况下，特别是精神病例和与成瘾（药物和酒精）有关的病例。

Scientific research ultimately aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the public. To achieve this we need to understand the mechanisms of disease such that we may try to develop new treatments. Diseases of the nervous system in particular cause considerable suffering not just to the individual but also to the carers. To better understand disease processes requires the study of animal models, to try and work out the mechanisms of a disease, and then translation of these mechanisms to the human setting. It is in this translation that collected human material, obtained at autopsy with the full consent of the next of kin, is invaluable. It is through the donation of tissues to scientific research that some carers are able to achieve peace of mind that some good may come from the death of a family member. Brain tissue has been collected for many years from cases of long-term neurological diseases such as dementia and multiple sclerosis, and Edinburgh is an internationally recognised centre in prion brain banking. In the setting of sudden death, where the bereavement is often felt more acutely due to the unexpectedness of the death and often due to the young age of the individuals involved, donating tissues to scientific research has previously not been an option available to the next of kin. The MRC funded Edinburgh brain and tissue bank provides this opportunity. Although many individuals dying suddenly may have no neurological disease at the time of death, their tissues can provide valuable information when compared to brain of an individual with established neurological disease. This control function of normal brain tissue is essential to investigation of all brain disorders and is as important as getting access to tissue from brain disorders. In addition, conditions which are rarely encountered in the hospital autopsy environment are seen in the setting of sudden death, particularly psychiatric cases, and cases related to addiction (drugs and alcohol).