HTS - Maximising the value of MRC Brain Banks
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
The aim of this study to maximise the value of the brain tissue samples available to the research community in the four MRC-funded brain banks by the systematic analysis and integration of data from genomic studies on cases currently available for research in the banks. . All MRC brain banks have ethics approval to function as tissue banks and to collect, store and release tissue samples and data from consented donors. Consent/authorisation for genetic research is recorded and will be used to identify cases for inclusion in this study. Governance mechanisms include local NHS governance, Human Tissue Authority licences and Healthcare Improvement Scotland accreditation, along with MRC policies on research governance.
This study will involve the investigation of normal brains from a wide age range and brains from well-characterised disease cohorts in the MRC brain banks. We aim to genetically characterise 1500 representative brains with Alzheimer disease, dementia with Lewy bodies /Parkinson disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia/motor neurone disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and controls. The data generated will greatly enrich the clinical and neuropathological data currently associated with these samples. This work will therefore provide major added value to the exiting brain banks, opening up totally new opportunities for mechanistic and translational research in neurodegeneration and brain aging.
This study will involve the investigation of normal brains from a wide age range and brains from well-characterised disease cohorts in the MRC brain banks. We aim to genetically characterise 1500 representative brains with Alzheimer disease, dementia with Lewy bodies /Parkinson disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia/motor neurone disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and controls. The data generated will greatly enrich the clinical and neuropathological data currently associated with these samples. This work will therefore provide major added value to the exiting brain banks, opening up totally new opportunities for mechanistic and translational research in neurodegeneration and brain aging.
Technical Summary
The aim of this study to maximise the value of the brain tissue samples available to the research community in the four MRC-funded brain banks by the systematic analysis and integration of data from genomic studies on cases currently available for research in the banks. . All MRC brain banks have ethics approval to function as tissue banks and to collect, store and release tissue samples and data from consented donors. Consent/authorisation for genetic research is recorded and will be used to identify cases for inclusion in this study. Governance mechanisms include local NHS governance, Human Tissue Authority licences and Healthcare Improvement Scotland accreditation, along with MRC policies on research governance.
This study will involve the investigation of normal brains from a wide age range and brains from well-characterised disease cohorts in the MRC brain banks. We aim to genetically characterise 1500 representative brains with Alzheimer disease, dementia with Lewy bodies /Parkinson disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia/motor neurone disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and controls. The data generated will greatly enrich the clinical and neuropathological data currently associated with these samples. This work will therefore provide major added value to the exiting brain banks, opening up totally new opportunities for mechanistic and translational research in neurodegeneration and brain aging. This work links strategic priorities of MRC and the NHS: understanding dementia and the role of genetics in disease.
The MRC brain banks in Edinburgh, Kings College, Newcastle and Oxford will all contribute tissue samples to this study to maximise throughput. Rapid progress will be ensured by the experience of the investigators, the substantial research infrastructure in all four centres, the existing availability of very large numbers of high quality frozen and fixed tissue samples in the MRC Brain Banks, and by outsourcing both nucleic acid extraction and sequencing, with in-house bioinformatics. All raw data generated will be stored in a secure database and made openly available to researchers using samples from the brain banks. In the short term, the data generated is likely to lead to the identification of new highly-penetrant neurodegenerative disease genes and novel disease phenotypes. In the longer term, the data will also will provide a unique resource to help the international research community define the role and clinicopathological spectrum of known genetic causes of neurodegeneration, enable the genetic recall of brain tissue by international research groups studying neurodegeneration and allow researchers to formulate novel hypotheses based on the data from this “deep genotyping” approach.
This study will involve the investigation of normal brains from a wide age range and brains from well-characterised disease cohorts in the MRC brain banks. We aim to genetically characterise 1500 representative brains with Alzheimer disease, dementia with Lewy bodies /Parkinson disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia/motor neurone disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and controls. The data generated will greatly enrich the clinical and neuropathological data currently associated with these samples. This work will therefore provide major added value to the exiting brain banks, opening up totally new opportunities for mechanistic and translational research in neurodegeneration and brain aging. This work links strategic priorities of MRC and the NHS: understanding dementia and the role of genetics in disease.
The MRC brain banks in Edinburgh, Kings College, Newcastle and Oxford will all contribute tissue samples to this study to maximise throughput. Rapid progress will be ensured by the experience of the investigators, the substantial research infrastructure in all four centres, the existing availability of very large numbers of high quality frozen and fixed tissue samples in the MRC Brain Banks, and by outsourcing both nucleic acid extraction and sequencing, with in-house bioinformatics. All raw data generated will be stored in a secure database and made openly available to researchers using samples from the brain banks. In the short term, the data generated is likely to lead to the identification of new highly-penetrant neurodegenerative disease genes and novel disease phenotypes. In the longer term, the data will also will provide a unique resource to help the international research community define the role and clinicopathological spectrum of known genetic causes of neurodegeneration, enable the genetic recall of brain tissue by international research groups studying neurodegeneration and allow researchers to formulate novel hypotheses based on the data from this “deep genotyping” approach.
Organisations
- University of Edinburgh (Lead Research Organisation)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- University of Manchester (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- University of Sheffield (Collaboration)
- Newcastle University (Collaboration)
- CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (Collaboration)
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
- University of Bristol (Collaboration)
- KING'S COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
Publications
Keogh MJ
(2018)
Oligogenic genetic variation of neurodegenerative disease genes in 980 postmortem human brains.
in Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
Keogh MJ
(2017)
Genetic compendium of 1511 human brains available through the UK Medical Research Council Brain Banks Network Resource.
in Genome research
Wei W
(2019)
Frequency and signature of somatic variants in 1461 human brain exomes.
in Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics
Wei W
(2017)
Mitochondrial DNA point mutations and relative copy number in 1363 disease and control human brains.
in Acta neuropathologica communications
Description | MRC Network of UK Brain Banks |
Organisation | Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
Department | Cambridge Brain Bank |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | I have created a Network of Brain Banks in the UK, involving 10 different centres, to imrpove the standards of operation and to increase the use of huuman brain tissue in Neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities. |
Impact | Creation of a Network with a Steering Committee, Management group, Users Group and Website. Interface with other UK funders of brain banks including Parkinson's UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer Society and the Alzheimer Research Trust. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | MRC Network of UK Brain Banks |
Organisation | Imperial College London |
Department | Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Tissue Bank |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have created a Network of Brain Banks in the UK, involving 10 different centres, to imrpove the standards of operation and to increase the use of huuman brain tissue in Neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities. |
Impact | Creation of a Network with a Steering Committee, Management group, Users Group and Website. Interface with other UK funders of brain banks including Parkinson's UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer Society and the Alzheimer Research Trust. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | MRC Network of UK Brain Banks |
Organisation | King's College London |
Department | Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have created a Network of Brain Banks in the UK, involving 10 different centres, to imrpove the standards of operation and to increase the use of huuman brain tissue in Neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities. |
Impact | Creation of a Network with a Steering Committee, Management group, Users Group and Website. Interface with other UK funders of brain banks including Parkinson's UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer Society and the Alzheimer Research Trust. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | MRC Network of UK Brain Banks |
Organisation | Newcastle University |
Department | Institute for Ageing and Health |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have created a Network of Brain Banks in the UK, involving 10 different centres, to imrpove the standards of operation and to increase the use of huuman brain tissue in Neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities. |
Impact | Creation of a Network with a Steering Committee, Management group, Users Group and Website. Interface with other UK funders of brain banks including Parkinson's UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer Society and the Alzheimer Research Trust. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | MRC Network of UK Brain Banks |
Organisation | University College London |
Department | Institute of Neurology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have created a Network of Brain Banks in the UK, involving 10 different centres, to imrpove the standards of operation and to increase the use of huuman brain tissue in Neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities. |
Impact | Creation of a Network with a Steering Committee, Management group, Users Group and Website. Interface with other UK funders of brain banks including Parkinson's UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer Society and the Alzheimer Research Trust. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | MRC Network of UK Brain Banks |
Organisation | University of Bristol |
Department | School of Clinical Sciences |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have created a Network of Brain Banks in the UK, involving 10 different centres, to imrpove the standards of operation and to increase the use of huuman brain tissue in Neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities. |
Impact | Creation of a Network with a Steering Committee, Management group, Users Group and Website. Interface with other UK funders of brain banks including Parkinson's UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer Society and the Alzheimer Research Trust. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | MRC Network of UK Brain Banks |
Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have created a Network of Brain Banks in the UK, involving 10 different centres, to imrpove the standards of operation and to increase the use of huuman brain tissue in Neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities. |
Impact | Creation of a Network with a Steering Committee, Management group, Users Group and Website. Interface with other UK funders of brain banks including Parkinson's UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer Society and the Alzheimer Research Trust. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | MRC Network of UK Brain Banks |
Organisation | University of Manchester |
Department | Community-Based Medicine |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have created a Network of Brain Banks in the UK, involving 10 different centres, to imrpove the standards of operation and to increase the use of huuman brain tissue in Neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities. |
Impact | Creation of a Network with a Steering Committee, Management group, Users Group and Website. Interface with other UK funders of brain banks including Parkinson's UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer Society and the Alzheimer Research Trust. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | MRC Network of UK Brain Banks |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Department | Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have created a Network of Brain Banks in the UK, involving 10 different centres, to imrpove the standards of operation and to increase the use of huuman brain tissue in Neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities. |
Impact | Creation of a Network with a Steering Committee, Management group, Users Group and Website. Interface with other UK funders of brain banks including Parkinson's UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer Society and the Alzheimer Research Trust. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | MRC Network of UK Brain Banks |
Organisation | University of Sheffield |
Department | Department of Neuroscience |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have created a Network of Brain Banks in the UK, involving 10 different centres, to imrpove the standards of operation and to increase the use of huuman brain tissue in Neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities.Collaboration in Network activities. |
Impact | Creation of a Network with a Steering Committee, Management group, Users Group and Website. Interface with other UK funders of brain banks including Parkinson's UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer Society and the Alzheimer Research Trust. |
Start Year | 2009 |