Brain Banks And Tissue Repositories For Blast-Related Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Research

Journal of NeurotraumaVol. 34, No. S1 Short CommunicationOpen AccessBrain Banks and Tissue Repositories for Blast-Related Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy ResearchChandler Sours, Sidney R. HindsII, Ann C. McKee, Daniel P. Perl, and Michael J. LeggieriJrChandler SoursBooz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia.Search for more papers by this author, Sidney R. HindsIIDepartment of Defense Blast Injury Research Program Coordinating Office, United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland.Search for more papers by this author, Ann C. McKeeVA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts.Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, Alzheimer's Disease Center, and Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this author, Daniel P. PerlBrain Tissue Repository and Neuropathology Care, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.Department of Pathology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.Search for more papers by this author, and Michael J. LeggieriJrDepartment of Defense Blast Injury Research Program Coordinating Office, United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Sep 2017https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2017.29014.bbAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail At the conclusion of the 2015 International State-of-the-Science (SoS) Meeting on “Does Blast-Related Trauma Contribute to the Development of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)?,” organized by the Department of Defense (DoD) Blast Injury Research Program Coordinating Office, the Expert Panel identified a critical knowledge gap: blast exposed tissue, with well-annotated medical and blast exposure histories available for neuropathological analysis, are lacking. This finding led to the Expert Panel's highest priority recommendation, which was to create a coordinated brain bank and tissue repository system with a robust plan for donation of clinical specimens that are annotated with thorough medical and blast exposure data that would enable exploration of the relationship between CTE neuropathology, risk factors and clinical features. This systemic approach including well-annotated medical and blast histories to accompany the corresponding tissue sample(s) is critical for unraveling the nature of the relationship and rule in or out causality of exposure to CTE pathology.One current DoD initiative addressing this recommendation is the Brain Tissue Repository at the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM) at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS) under the leadership of Dr. Daniel Perl. In addition, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) supports the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC) Brain Tissue Biorepository in collaboration with the DoD and supports the Veterans Affairs-Boston University-Concussion Legacy Foundation (VA-BU-CLF) Brain Bank at the VA Medical Center, Boston. Both brain banks are under the leadership of Dr. Ann McKee. Table 1 provides detailed information on each repository.Table 1. Detailed Information on Brain Repositories CNRM Brain Tissue RepositoryVA-BU-CLF Brain BankCENC Brain Tissue BiorepositoryEstablishmentEstablished in 2010 at USUHS in Bethesda, MD, through funding from the Department of Defense.The VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank was established in 2008 at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, MA; the brain bank moved to VA Boston in 2016.The CENC Brain Tissue Biorepository was established in July 2016 at VA Boston Healthcare System.MissionThrough the repository, scientists and physicians will use innovative approaches to better understand traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Service Members and how to care for our military personnel after a head injury.To collect and study post-mortem human brain, eyes, and spinal cord tissue from individuals exposed to concussive and subconcussive injury or blasts in order to better understand the acute and long-term effects of repetitive mild or blast trauma on the human nervous system, and to develop biomarkers and effective treatments.To collect and study post-mortem human brain, eyes, and spinal cord tissue from military Veterans exposed to concussive and subconcussive injury or blasts in order to better understand the acute and long-term effects of repetitive mild or blast trauma on the human nervous system, and to develop biomarkers and effective treatments.PopulationMilitary Service Members, with and without blast exposure.Professional and amateur athletes with exposure to repetitive head impacts, military personnel or Veterans with exposure to blast injury or concussive injury, civilians exposed to repetitive concussive or subconcussive or blast injury.Military Veterans with exposure to blast injury or concussive and subconcussive injury.DirectorDr. Daniel PerlDr. Ann McKeeDr. Ann McKeeWebsitehttp://www.researchbraininjury.org/https://www.bu.edu/cte/our-research/brain-bank/https://cenc.rti.org/About/Donate-Your-BrainContact855-366-8824; or http://www.researchbraininjury.org/contact-usBobak Abdolmohammadi; Research Assistant; 617-414-1184 bobdolmo@bu.edu; or Laney Evers: 617-414-1187; levers@bu.eduHannah Gardner: 857-364-5694; Hannah.Gardner@va.gov;24 hour phone line: 617-276-6023CRNM, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine; VA-BU-CLF, Veterans Affairs-Boston University-Concussion Legacy Foundation; USUHS, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; CENC, Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium.Although the DoD and VA have made numerous strides in addressing this Expert Panel recommendation, multiple challenges remain. For example, brain banks and repositories must improve methodologies regarding how to properly collect brain donations in a time sensitive and efficient manner that are ethical and respectful of those who have died and sensitive to the loss experienced by the deceased's loved ones. Furthermore, additional work must be done to spread awareness of these brain tissue repositories and inform Service Members, Veterans and athletes of the options and mechanisms to make donations. The successful efforts to understand the relationship between repetitive TBI, blast, and CTE depends on the support of refined and optimized policies which enable those willing to donate brains and tissues to do so seamlessly. This will allow a stream-lined and effective means of donation which will advance our understanding of blast-related brain injury.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byMultimodal Characterization of the Late Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Methodological Overview of the Late Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury Project Brian L. Edlow, C. Dirk Keene, Daniel P. Perl, Diego Iacono, Rebecca D. Folkerth, William Stewart, Christine L. Mac Donald, Jean Augustinack, Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, Camilo Estrada, Elissa Flannery, Wayne A. Gordon, Thomas J. Grabowski, Kelly Hansen, Jeanne Hoffman, Christopher Kroenke, Eric B. Larson, Patricia Lee, Azma Mareyam, Jennifer A. McNab, Jeanne McPhee, Allison L. Moreau, Anne Renz, KatieRose Richmire, Allison Stevens, Cheuk Y. Tang, Lee S. Tirrell, Emily H. Trittschuh, Andre van der Kouwe, Ani Varjabedian, Lawrence L. Wald, Ona Wu, Anastasia Yendiki, Liza Young, Lilla Zöllei, Bruce Fischl, Paul K. Crane, and Kristen Dams-O'Connor15 July 2018 | Journal of Neurotrauma, Vol. 35, No. 14 Volume 34Issue S1Sep 2017 InformationCopyright 2017, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Chandler Sours, Sidney R. HindsII, Ann C. McKee, Daniel P. Perl, and Michael J. LeggieriJr.Brain Banks and Tissue Repositories for Blast-Related Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Research.Journal of Neurotrauma.Sep 2017.S-4-S-5.http://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2017.29014.bbcreative commons licensePublished in Volume: 34 Issue S1: September 1, 2017PDF download