Abstract
Preface
This is the report of the forty-fourth of a
series of workshops organised by the European
Centre for the Validation of Alternative
Methods (ECVAM). ECVAM’s main goal, as
defined in 1993 by its Scientific Advisory
Committee, is to promote the scientific and
regulatory acceptance of alternative methods
which are of importance to the biosciences
and which reduce, refine or replace ...
Abstract
Preface
This is the report of the forty-fourth of a
series of workshops organised by the European
Centre for the Validation of Alternative
Methods (ECVAM). ECVAM’s main goal, as
defined in 1993 by its Scientific Advisory
Committee, is to promote the scientific and
regulatory acceptance of alternative methods
which are of importance to the biosciences
and which reduce, refine or replace the use of
laboratory animals. One of the first priorities
set by ECVAM was the implementation of
procedures that would enable it to become
well-informed about the state-of-the-art of
non-animal test development and validation,
and the potential for the possible incorporation
of alternative tests into regulatory procedures.
It was decided that this would be
best achieved by the organisation of ECVAM
workshops on specific topics, at which small
groups of invited experts would review the
current status of in vitro tests and their
potential uses, and make recommendations
about the best ways forward (1). In addition,
other topics relevant to the Three Rs concept
of alternatives to animal experiments have
been considered in several ECVAM workshops.
A workshop on the establishment of
human research tissue banking in the UK
and several western European countries
was held at The Belfry, Birmingham, UK,
on 8–10 September 2000, under the chairmanship
of Robert Anderson (UK Human
Tissue Bank [UK HTB]). There were 22
participants from six western European
countries.
The principal aim of the workshop was to
explore the feasibility of establishing
research tissue banks (RTBs) in the countries
represented, in order to facilitate programmes
of medical and pharmacotoxicological
research. This report builds upon the
conclusions and recommendations of
ECVAM Workshop 32 on the availability of
human tissue for biomedical research (2)
and summarises discussions and progress
made since the publication of that report,
toward the provision of tissue banking services
in European countries. A number of
recommendations are proposed for improving
the availability of human material for
research through the formation of a European
Network of Research Tissue Banks
(ENRTB).
; Richert, Lysiane ; Ravid, Rivka ; Shute, David ; Śladowski, Dariusz ; Stone, Helena ; Thasler, Wolfgang E. ; Trafford, Jacki ; van der Valk, Jan ; Weiss, Thomas S. 
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