Fukushimura Brain Bank (FBB) -----Based in a private geriatric hospital---

Hiroyasu Akatsu 1,2), Akira Hori 1,2), Hidechika Okada 1),

Yoshio Hashizume 1,2), Takayuki Yamamoto 1,2)

Conclusions:

Although our bank has gone unrecognized in the past, our farsighted efforts have

been gaining considerable attention in recent years in Japan. We now have over 20

collaborators and supply more than 30 research institutes with our samples. In

addition, our research institute was approved in 2004 by the Ministry of

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, as one of the non-

governmental institutes which is permitted to apply for governmental grants and

we became a member of the Comprehensive Brain Science Network in 2010. At this

meeting, we present the FBB at the Choju Medical Institute as a unique facility

and one of the most active brain banks in the world.

【Introduction】

The FBB was established under the auspices of the Fukushimura

Hospital, a legally incorporated medical institution. It is managed

completely within the private sector.

1) Choju Medical Institute, 2) Institute of Neuropathology, Fukushimura Hospital

【Fukushimura and Our Hospital】

Choju Medical Institute

Institute of Neuropathology

Fukushimura Hospital

Nursing Home

Home for the

mentally

retarded

Day-care house for the disabled

Home for the disabled

Home for the aged

Vocational aid center

Geriatric Health

Services Facility

Fukushimura Brain Bank was established in 1990. We have a long

record of collecting samples, not only from patients but also from

residents of our care houses and nursing homes within the

Fukushimura complex. This allows us as medical doctors and

researchers to obtain clinical information or blood samples,

sometimes even before the onset of illness. In our institute, all Brain

Bank data is held in the office of individual data management.

【Regarding the sampling section 】

In collecting FBB samples, we always keep in mind future

biochemical and molecular analyses and collaborations. The

brains are separated into two hemispheres. One hemisphere is

fixed in formalin for neuropathological analysis and the other is

precisely subdivided into coronary sections and small blocks

which are saved in Eppendorf tubes. After samples are

photographed, they are frozen on dry ice (slices) and in liquid

nitrogen (tubes). Finally, all material is stored at -80 degrees in 8

refrigerators for later use in research.

The FBB is run by medical doctors in clinical practice with the

assistance of a small technical staff. All cases are regularly

discussed with clinicians on a monthly basis (CPC).

Fixation

Freezing

Tissue from 5

points in the

total brain are

placed into 5

Eppendorf tubes

Fixed blocks of

hemisphere for diagnosis

and smaller portions for

immunochemistry

Longitudinal and Transverse analysis with FBB Samples

Case 1

Case 2

Case 3

Case 4

・

・

Case 500

・

Role of

central institute

Multi-factorial analysis of cases

using the data bank

Collaborative projects

Mass analysis based on

clinico-pathological data

(over 300 cases）

Major on-going collaborations

Kyushu

Univ.

Fujita Health Univ. Hokkaido

Univ.

Ｓｈｉｇａ Ｍｅｄ

School

Hamamatsu

Med. School

Nanyang

Technological

Univ.

Niigata

Univ.

Tsukuba

Univ.

Osaka

Univ.

National

Institute for

Longevity Sci.

FBB

Metals Oxidative

stress

SNPs

Serum/

CSF

SNP: Single Nucleotide Polymorphism

CSF: Cerebrospinal fluid

AD: Alzheimer’s disease

P-102

“Fukushi”is a Japanese word that means welfare and “mura” is a

village. As shown in the aerial photograph on the right, we have several

buildings for the aged and disabled, and about 800 elderly people reside in

our village.

The Fukushimura Hospital was established in 1982 and is managed by the

Sawarabi Medical Cooperative. It currently has 487 beds. Our patients

mainly have dementia and cerebrovascular problems. The hospital plays a

pivotal role within the village and acts as the central facility.

【Fukushimura Brain Bank】

Serum

Mass image

Kyoto

Univ.

Tokyo

Med. Univ.

Basel

Univ.

Hallym Univ.

Fukushima

Med. School

Riken

tau

TDP-43

tau Stroke

AD

Lipids Metals Project x

Clin

ico-p

ath

olo

gica

l da

ta

Role of central institute

Whole body autopsy cases are stored as several

tissues, muscles and spinal cord at -80 degrees

with pathological diagnosis.

Lipids