Human tissue plays a vital role in various research areas, offering a more accurate and ethically preferable alternative to animal models in many cases. It allows scientists to study diseases, test treatments, and advance our understanding of human biology.
Types of Human Tissue Research
Human tissue is utilized in a wide range of research applications:
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Disease Research: Scientists use tissue samples (e.g., biopsies, blood samples) to study the development and progression of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders. This includes genetic research focusing on inherited diseases and how genes influence health and illness. [Reference: Your tissue may also be used for genetic research, or research looking at diseases that are passed on in families. This research will help scientists better understand how genes affect health and illness.]
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Drug and Treatment Development: Human tissue is crucial in pre-clinical testing of new drugs and therapies. Researchers can assess the effectiveness and safety of new treatments in vitro (in a lab setting) before moving to clinical trials. [Reference: Organs-on-chips, 3D bioprinting, and other methods that use human tissues instead of animals produce results that better translate to human health. Human tissue...]
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Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine: This field aims to repair or replace damaged tissues and organs. Human tissue is used to develop new biomaterials and techniques for tissue engineering, helping to create replacement tissues for transplantation. [Reference: Regenerative medicine is a broad field that includes tissue engineering but also incorporates research on self-healing – where the body uses its own systems,...]
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Biobanking: Biobanks collect, store, and distribute human tissue samples for research. These repositories are essential resources for researchers worldwide, providing access to a diverse range of samples. [Reference: Human Tissue Repositories collect, store, and distribute human tissue materials for research purposes. Repository activities involve three components: (i)... ]
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Organ-on-a-chip Technology: This innovative approach uses human cells to create miniature organs-on-a-chip that mimic the functions of human organs. This offers a more realistic and ethical model for drug testing and disease research than animal models. [Reference: Organs-on-chips, 3D bioprinting, and other methods that use human tissues instead of animals produce results that better translate to human health. Human tissue...]
Ethical Considerations
The use of human tissue in research is strictly regulated to ensure ethical conduct and protect the rights of individuals. Obtaining informed consent is paramount before using any tissue sample. [Reference: If consent has been given to use the human tissue for research, there is no legal requirement to obtain ethical approval for research carried...]
Accessing Human Tissue for Research
Researchers often obtain human tissue samples from various sources, including:
- Biobanks: These specialized repositories provide researchers with access to a wide range of human tissues for their research. [Reference: The Human Tissue and Organ Research Resource (HTORR) provides high-quality human biospecimens to investigators to facilitate scientific...]
- Hospitals and Clinics: Hospitals and clinics may provide surplus tissue samples that are no longer needed for clinical care. [Reference: ...human tissue specimens to support research conducted by UNM HSC investigators. The Human Tissue Oversight Committee (HTOC) was established to oversee the...]
- Commercial Suppliers: Commercial companies collect and supply human tissues to researchers. [Reference: Commercial biobanks are also supplying human tissue to pharmaceutical companies for use in these studies, and contract research organisations...]
Researchers often need to follow specific guidelines and obtain approvals from Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) or similar ethics committees before using human tissue in their research.
