Fetal Tissue Bank

The Medical Research Council Fetal Tissue Bank (FTB), based at the Hammersmith Hospital, London, was originally established in the 1950s. The FTB was one of only two human embryonic/fetal tissue banks in the UK, the other being the Human Developmental Biology Resource (HDBR). The FTB originally collected samples between eight and 19 weeks of gestation, but more recently had been collecting closely similar stages to the HDBR (four to 12 weeks). In 2005, the HDBR took over the management of the FTB and is now able to offer tissue for research from the FTB resource.

The FTB is composed of samples from individual organs of fetuses between eight and 19 weeks of gestation. Most of this material was frozen at -80°C at the time of collection. A limited amount has been cryopreserved at -150°C for the generation of cell lines. There is also some tissue preserved in wax blocks, including placenta samples, which have not routinely been collected by the HDBR.

Hence the FTB material is complementary to and so extends the range of research projects the HDBR can support. The HDBR is intending to administer this collection through the normal application process, therefore anyone with full HDBR registration can access this material. If you are interested in obtaining material from the FTB please email HDBR@ich.ucl.ac.uk.