UNMC Hires Full-Time Coordinator for Rapid Brain Autopsy
Program
In its continuing effort to seek alternative sources for its research
using fetal cells, the University of Nebraska Medical Center announced
today that it has hired William H.C. Brown II to serve as coordinator of
its rapid brain autopsy program.
The program was developed earlier this year by UNMC as a possible mechanism
for procuring the three types of brain cells used in UNMCs research into
neurodestructive diseases such as Alzheimers disease and AIDS-related
dementia. The research has been a source of controversy in Nebraska because
it involves the use of fetal cells from elective abortions. For the cells
obtained from a rapid brain autopsy to be suitable for research, the autopsy
must be performed within two hours of a persons death.
The donor program is key to finding alternative sources, said Jane
Potter, M.D., professor and chief, UNMC section of geriatrics and gerontology.
Appointing a full-time coordinator heightens UNMCs commitment. Additionally,
it strengthens our attempts to increase public awareness so people can
be involved in research that may someday save lives.
Astrocytes, microglia and neurons make up the three types of cells needed
for UNMCs research into neurodegenerative diseases. Astrocytes and microglia
are the support cells for neurons, while neurons are the most critical
cells for brain function. Neurons work to receive and send out electrical
signals throughout the body and are instrumental for normal thinking and
motor function.
In August, UNMC announced that it had succeeded in obtaining astrocytes
and microglia in performing its first two rapid autopsies. However, they
were unable to recover any suitable neurons from the rapid autopsy procedures.
Only a handful of institutions in the world have ever been able to successfully
isolate cells from rapid autopsies, said Anuja Ghorpade, Ph.D., senior
scientist in the UNMC Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Disorders,
and there isnt any published literature that documents recovery of mature
neurons from the rapid autopsy procedure.
Since the two rapid autopsies announced in August, UNMC has only been
able to perform one other rapid autopsy procedure and that took place in
late October, Dr. Ghorpade said.
We have made a major commitment to finding alternative sources, she
said. At the present time and with the present technology, however, it
just isnt possible to get all the cells we need from the rapid autopsy
procedure.
A 1999 graduate of Bellevue University, Brown expects to complete his
masters degree in public administration in January 2001 from the University
of Oklahoma. Prior to coming to UNMC, Brown worked six years at Ehrling
Bergquist Hospital in Bellevue, where he held several laboratory and managerial
positions.
As tissue donation program coordinator for the rapid autopsy program,
one of Browns primary responsibilities will be to approach families concerning
brain tissue donations when a death is imminent. He will do this at Nebraska
Health Systems University Hospital and Clarkson Hospital. In addition,
he will speak to organizations and groups throughout the community on how
they can participate in the rapid autopsy program and will develop material
detailing the program.
Obviously, for the rapid autopsy program to succeed, we are dependent
on patients and families making courageous decisions to donate cells under
extremely stressful situations, Brown said. The decision to donate cells
would be very similar to what happens when families elect to donate a loved
ones organs. Our organ donor program has flourished over the years, so
were
hopeful the public will be just as receptive with the rapid autopsy
program.
Although pleased with the early success of the rapid autopsy program,
Dr. Ghorpade said much more work needs to be done.
We feel strongly that rapid autopsies represent our best chance for
finding alternative tissue sources, Dr. Ghorpade said. The rapid autopsy
procedure can be very time- and labor-intensive. When we did the first
two procedures, it took a total of 15 hours. In addition, these are procedures
that cant be planned in advance.
UNMC has already reallocated more than $300,000 in its quest for alternative
tissue sources. These expenditures include the purchase of a microscope
that is now being used as well as the hiring of other support personnel
to help meet the increased workload resulting from the use of alternative
sources.
UNMCs fetal cell research seeks to understand how brain cells are damaged
and to find ways to regenerate these damaged brain cells in neurodestructive
diseases such as Alzheimers disease and AIDS-dementia. Currently, about
77,000 Nebraskans have Alzheimers disease, and the number is expected
to more than double in the next 30 years. Nebraska ranks among the top
four states in the percentage of people age 85 years and older. Its estimated
that more than 5 percent of Nebraskas population suffers from some sort
of neurodestructive disease.
For more information on how people can become donors to the rapid brain
autopsy program, call (402) 559-4035.