BRADFORD families have been asked to consider donating tissue samples to a unique Bradford facility that helps shape future medical treatments.

The ethical tissue bank at Bradford University is the only facility of its type in the UK, and has helped provide tissue samples vital to medical research, to companies and individuals across the world.

Based at the university's Institute of Cancer Therapeutics the bank provides human tissue samples for PHD students at Bradford University and companies and research groups.

Because of its ethical status, groups have to apply for the samples. Staff at the bank are contacted by the groups, which have to provide justification for why they need the samples, and the amount they are asking for.

The tissue and fluid samples in the bank come from a variety of sources. Some are from recently deceased donors, while others are obtained from people who are having operations, such as organs being removed, or biopsies. People can also donate bodily fluids.

Tissue quickly begins to deteriorate after a person dies, or after an organ is removed, so staff at the bank work with local hospitals and surgeons, who inform them when a donor dies or is operated on, or if a baby is born and their umbilical cord is available to take samples from.

Staff are always ready to rush to the hospitals, including Bradford Royal Infirmary, and St Luke’s, to pick up the samples and get them back to the tissue bank, where the samples are “optimised” - separating different parts of the tissue so it can be used in as many different ways as possible. It is then stored in the bank’s freezers.

However, due to the popularity of the bank, samples rarely stay in storage for more than a few weeks.

The tissue bank was licensed in 2006, and granted ethical status the following year.

Joanne Mullarkey, a research nurse at the tissue bank, said: "Sometimes they are used by students, others by pharmaceutical companies doing drug trials. A lot of these samples will go on to do essential work."

Dr Sue Boyce said: "A lot of the samples go on researching cancer therapies and a wide range of drug trials. The drugs will be tested on the tissue samples to see how they react before they go on to being tested on patients."

Many of the samples come from umbilical cords, and those obtained in this way have been used by the city's groundbreaking Born in Bradford study, which looked at health issues in thousands of the city's babies, and how actions of mothers during pregnancy can effect babies.

Once samples are collected, their origin remains completely confidential, and they are identified by a code number, rather than by the donor.

One of the research projects that benefitted from the city's tissue bank was a groundbreaking cancer study at the University's school of life sciences.

Headed up by Professor Diana Anderson, the project resulted in a blood test to determine if a person is cancer free, or among the one in three people who are more susceptible to developing the disease.

Anyone interested in becoming a donor can call 01274 235897 or email enquiries@ethicaltissue.org.