A Handbook of Human Tissue Sources: A National Resource of Human Tissue Samples [Paperback]

Elisa Eiseman (Author), Susanne B. Haga (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0833027662 | ISBN-13: 978-0833027665 | Publication Date: January 27, 2000 | Edition: 1

To date, no central database captures information about stored tissue samples. This handbook serves as a national resource, to bring together for the first time, in a single document, information about tissue storage in the United States. It provides information about several aspects of stored tissue samples, such as how many samples exist in the United States, where they are, who has access to them, and for what purposes they are used. A conservative estimate from the tissue collections described in this book is that more than 307 million specimens from more than 178 million cases are stored in the United States, accumulating at a rate of more than 20 million per year. This handbook will be a valuable resource for researchers who require tissue samples for studies in genetics, cancer, immunology, physiology, and cell biology, among many other disciplines. In addition, it should be useful to policymakers, physicians, and other professionals in fields realated to health care.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Handbook of Human Tissue Resources attempts to provide comprehensive information on the hundreds of human tissue archives. These range from tens of millions of samples held by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology to scattered collections in university departments across the United States...the guide will be particularly useful for researchers at smaller institutions lacking specialist facilities to help their scientists find samples.
Nature

From the Publisher

One aspect of the recent and rapid advances in biological and medical research is that human tissue is being used in an increasing variety of new ways. Now that techniques exist to extract DNA from minuscule archival samples, including frozen blood or tissue samples and even paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, genetic tests could potentially be performed on virtually any size stored tissue sample. These technological advances, which have been so instrumental in recent biomedical discoveries, have also raised several legal, ethical, and societal issues, including concerns about privacy and informed consent.To assist in their examination of the issues associated with the use of stored tissue samples, the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) requested information about the magnitude of the existing archives of tissues in the United States from the Science and Technology Policy Institute at RAND. The commissioned report represented the first inventory of stored tissue sample repositories in the United States. The report provided information about major tissue storage facilities and information about several aspects of stored tissue samples, such as how many tissue samples exist in the United States, where they are, who has access to them, and for what purposes they are used. This handbook is an extension of the NBAC-commissioned report and represents a comprehensive inventory of stored human biological materials in the United States. The handbook is the first of its kind and should be extremely useful to scientific researchers throughout the world.Originally created by Congress in 1991 as the Critical Technologies Institute and renamed in 1998, the Science and Technology Policy Institute is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the National Science Foundation and managed by RAND. The institute's mission is to help improve public policy by conducting objective, independent research and analysis on policy issues that involve science and technology. To this end, the institute Supports the Office of Science and Technology Policy and other Executive Branch agencies, offices, and councils Helps science and technology decisionmakers understand the likely consequences of their decisions and choose among alternative policies Helps improve understanding in both the public and private sectors of theways in which science and technology can better serve national objectives.Science and Technology Policy Institute research focuses on problems of science and technology policy that involve multiple agencies. In carrying out its mission, the institute consults broadly with representatives from private industry, institutions of higher education, and other nonprofit institutions.Inquiries regarding the Science and Technology Policy Institute or this documentmay be directed to:Bruce Don, Ph.D.Director, Science and Technology Policy InstituteRAND1333 H Street, N.W.Washington, D.C.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 233 pages
• Publisher: Rand Publishing; 1 edition (January 27, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0833027662
• ISBN-13: 978-0833027665
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,577,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Human tissue sources, April 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Handbook of Human Tissue Sources: A National Resource of Human Tissue Samples (Paperback)

Excellent resource. No other such comprehensive reviews of human tissue sources exist. The authors did an excellent job putting together a consice, easy to read manual. Should be on every biomedical researchers desk.

5.0 out of 5 stars Human Tissue Sources, February 29, 2000

By 

Guillermo Vegas (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Handbook of Human Tissue Sources: A National Resource of Human Tissue Samples (Paperback)

An excellent read. Very complete and concise. Ground breaking material