Neurodegenerative Brain Disease
Modelling Human Arteries
Neurodegenerative Brain Disease
The Cambridge Brain Bank
Dr John Xuereb
The Trust's support is principally directed towards funding Sister Angela O'Sullivan, the Brain Bank's Research Nurse.
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Angela O'Sullivan, Research Nurse at the Cambridge Brain Bank |
The use of human brain tissue depends on the CBBL's donor programmes. The Trust provides the key for this aspect of the work by funding Humane Research Trust Research Nurse, Sister Angela O'Sullivan. By emotionally supporting both patient and relatives, Angela has helped many families make a donation of brain tissue after the death of their loved one, as well as enlisting new donors for the programme. The programme focuses on ensuring that donors and their families fully understand the nature of the laboratory's activities, give their full consent, and are given every opportunity to withdraw from participation in any aspect with which they may be unhappy.
Dr John Xuereb examines the donated brain tissue sections to diagnose the cause of any dementia. The tissue is then cut and stained by his team so that it is available for many other relevant research programmes.
Through the Trust's support the CBBL scientists can test whether discoveries made in cell culture systems apply to the intact human brain.
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Dr John Garland with the human artery 'model' |
Modelling Human Arteries
Manchester Medical School, University of Manchester
Prof Shant Kumar and Dr John Garland
Animal models of vascular tissue are very poor when applied to human usage, but normal human tissue culture techniques are inadequate for reliably mirroring the situation within the human body. This project aims to build a model of human functional arteries and vascular tissue in vitro using only human tissue, which would reliably replicate full cell functions including stretch (for pulse beat), three dimensions, oxygen content and contact with other cells. The model could be developed and manipulated in many ways with precise control.
Such a model will have widespread uses in addressing a number of problems involving blood vessels, for example bypass surgery, cardiovascular diseases, grafts, oncology and tumour spread, gene therapy, diabetes, vascular degenerative diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and stroke.
