Providing human tissue for research: 1996-2006

This article details the authors' experience establishing infrastructure for tissue collection, storage and distribution for biomedical research, firstly within a public healthcare service and latterly in the pharmaceutical industry. Access to human tissue in the context of public-private collaboration in research and development is essential to the provision of high-quality medicines and healthcare and is now supported by a new legal framework in England and Wales. Through collaborations there are opportunities for mutual benefit for patients and professionals alike. Attention to the wishes of tissue donors through informed consent at the outset ensured confidence and continued activity when so-called 'organ retention scandals' emerged midway through this period. The overwhelming majority of potential donors support the use of their tissues in biomedical research irrespective of where the research is carried out.