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Editorial commentary
Scientific community needs to financially support human brain tissue research and brain banks
  1. John E Donahue
  1. Pathology (Division of Neuropathology), Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr John E Donahue, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Neurology, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI 02903, USA; JDonahue3{at}Lifespan.org

https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2020-324942

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    Financial support of human brain tissue research studies and brain banks is crucial if neurodegenerative diseases are to be cured

    The paper by Goldberg, Huey, and Devanand1 describes a study using a large database of banked human brain tissue to ascertain the effects of the ε2 allele of the APOE gene on cerebrovascular disease. Because of the rarity of the ε2 allele in the general population, this study would have been impossible to perform without a large number of donated human brains, most of which likely have neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer disease (AD). The neuroscience community is indebted to these unfortunate patients and their families for making the donations possible.

    This study underscores the need for support of human brain banks and research using that brain tissue. Funding agencies tend to be biased in …

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @drjdonahue

    • Correction notice This article has be corrected since it appeared Online First. Reference 1 has been added.

    • Contributors I am the sole author of this editorial commentary and completely responsible for its content.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent for publication Not required.

    • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

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