tissue bank
Quick Summary
A tissue bank is a facility that collects, processes, stores, and distributes human tissues for transplantation or research. These tissues can include skin, bone, corneas, heart valves, and blood stem cells.123
The process often involves cryopreservation, where tissues are preserved by freezing using cryoprotective agents like dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or glycerol to prevent cell damage. This allows for long-term storage and availability for medical procedures.3
Tissue transplantation, or grafting, has a long history, with early techniques for reconstructing noses from skin flaps dating back to ancient India. Modern applications range from restoring sight with corneal grafts to saving lives with bone marrow transplants and blood transfusions. While autografts (from one part of the same body) are not rejected, allografts (from a donor) typically require measures to prevent rejection by the recipient's immune system.12
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