TISSUE BANK UNIT - MALAYSIA'S FIRST

The Tissue Bank is a laboratory based unit headed by a unit coordinator and supported by senior medical technologists and tissue bank operators. The project's activities come under the University's medical biotechnology programme and funded by both the Medical School and a research grant. A host of lecturers from the University are members of the bank, being associated with research projects undertaken by the bank.

The Tissue Bank produces safe and high quality tissue grafts for safe clinical use in patients. The tissue grafts are used in the field of burn management, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, maxillofacial surgery, dental surgery, paediatric surgery and otorhinolaryngology. The grafts are used as biological wound dressings in the management of burns or as tissue replacement substitutes in reconstructive surgery.

Objectives

• local production tissue grafts from locally procured donated tissues which have been safely screened
• intensive research and development in the production of biological biomaterial to ensure continuous improvement in the production of high quality tissue grafts
• provision of grafts tailored to the need of surgeons
• provision of tissue grafts at affordable cost for the nation
• promotion of the art and science of Surgical Tissue Banking at national and international level

Production of Tissue Grafts for Clinical Use

The Tissue Bank Unit produces the following tissue grafts for clinical use:

• bone allografts
• lyophillised and deep frozen
• amniotic dressing grafts
• bovine bone xenografts
• sheep skin xenografts
• lyophillised collagen

Academic and Research Roles

Undergraduate and postgraduate students in the field of medicine, nursing, medical technology and pure sciences do their elective attachments at the Tissue Bank as to fulfill of their academic requirements.

Postgraduate students in surgery also conduct short term research in biological biomaterial science in preparing for their dissertation.

Research and development is emphasised as the prime activity of the Unit, since improvement in the efficacy and quality of the tissue grafts largely depends on the basic research work conducted in the Tissue Bank laboratory as well as continuous improvement in the clinical skills of the surgical team.

National Tissue Graft and Transplant Consultancy Services

The role of the Tissue Bank Unit as the sole distributor of tissue grafts for Malaysia is obvious and this aspect of service has given the Tissue Bank Unit its national status. Indeed, its official designation is the "Malaysian National Tissue Bank". The Bank also provides consultancy services in the clinical usage of tissue grafts and these services are offered to all hospitals, both government and private.

Training Centre for the Asia-Pacific Region

Tissue transplantation is a relatively new field in most of the Asia-Pacific region and tissue grafts have been imported by these countries from the western world at a very high cost. New Tissue Banks are being developed in many of these countries and much support in terms of high technology transfer is needed in those countries. The Tissue Bank Unit in USM plays a key role in this important development and it has been recognised internationally as the training centre for Tissue Bank operators, scientists and surgeons embarking upon a career in surgical tissue banking in the Asia-Pacific region.

For further information kindly contact:

	Tissue Bank Unit, 
	School of Medical Sciences, 	       	 
	USM, 11650 Kubang Kerian, 		
	Kelantan,  Malaysia.   
	Tel: 609-7651700, 
	e-mail:banktisu@kb.usm.my