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Further information about the TSE Archive

 

TSE Archive remit

The remit of the TSE Archive is:

  • To store tissues produced after experimental challenge in specific archive projects funded by Defra.
  • To collect agreed lists of tissues that are in excess of project needs in research projects funded by Defra.
  • To collect tissues from field cases where a need is identified.
  • To supply researchers worldwide, where the requests meet the agreed release policy, where the tissues are available or can be reasonably collected prospectively.

It should be recognised that the Archive is limited by the numbers of experimental and natural cases, necropsy and storage capacity and anatomical limitations (i.e. some tissues/organs are inevitably present in self-limiting quantities).

Tissues to be collected

The IAAG make recommendations on which tissues should be collected and stored in the Archive from experimentally infected animals and field cases. The IAAG also advise on whether there is a need, or the capacity, to set up further projects with the specific aim to collect tissues for the archive or to prospectively collect and store tissues from field cases.

There are four sources of tissues:

  • Archive projects designed specifically to collect tissues for the archive.
  • Research projects where researchers donate excess tissues.
  • Natural field cases of TSEs in cattle and sheep
  • Active prospective collection in response to requests.