The first nationwide brain tumour tissue bank in the UK has been opened at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, a renowned centre for brain tumour research.
The bank, named “Charlotte’s Bank of Hope”, was initiated from a fundraising effort carried out by Anita Smith. The mother of Charlotte Smith, who lost her life to a brain tumour aged 16, Anita raised the £30,000 necessary to staff the unit.
The centre is a welcome addition to brain tumour research in the UK where many universities and hospitals have their own depositories but often do not permit cross-institutional research. Prof Anthony Chalmers who leads the bank is hopeful that the ability of researchers from around the world to use the tissue samples will increase the chances of a discovery regarding treatments and cures. This is vital in a country where more children are killed by brain tumours than any other cancer.
