Alcohol-related disorders of the nervous system are major public health and socio-economic problems throughout the world. Per capita consumption of alcohol in Australia is extremely high and, as a result, alcohol-related brain damage is common. A resource (brain bank) to provide these tissues to researchers has been developed in the Department of Pathology at the University of Sydney.
The aim of this important and innovative facility, the New South Wales Tissue Resource Center (TRC), is to provide fresh-frozen (-80C) and/or formalin fixed tissues to research groups throughout the world who are studying these disorders. The development of new technologies in pathology and molecular biology means that many more questions can be addressed using appropriately stored human brain tissues. Quantitative neuropathological, neurochemical, neuropharmacological and even neuroimaging techniques can be applied to these tissues. It is possible to detect and measure protein and chemical changes in the brain and abnormalities in gene expression can be identified by the detection and analysis of mRNA molecules. Recent international scientific progress in alcohol-related brain damage attest to the success of the use of these techniques using autopsy tissues. Studies might include dependence and tolerance issues, genetic aspects of alcoholism and mechanisms underlying structural changes in the brain. The accuracy and reliability of the case characterization is paramount to the success of the research projects and reliability of data. Detailed protocols are in place to ensure this outcome. To obtain more cases with full life-style and medical histories a brain donor program called """"""""Using our Brains"""""""" (donors sign up during life) has been launched to link with the TRC. A brain bank is necessarily a long-term project and maximum benefits will be seen as case numbers increase. Using the same case material and applying different scientific techniques, research groups can generate data that can be related to pre-mortem clinical, laboratory and radiological information. Funding is sought to help further develop this important resource for international researchers with an interest in alcohol-related brain damage.
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