Donor program for MS research: Establishing a German MS brain bank

Progress has been made in multiple sclerosis research in recent years, but the exact mechanisms behind tissue destruction in MS are still not clear. Studies using tissue samples from brain and spinal cord of deceased MS patients help in the search for the cause of the disease. Our researchers therefore depend on your tissue donation.

The disease-oriented competence network multiple sclerosis (KKNMS) established its own CNS tissue bank (German MS Brain Bank).

Any multiple sclerosis patient who would like to support medical research after his or her own death can register as a donor. For this donor program, an autopsy will be performed and the brain and spinal cord will be removed. Although the donors will not profit from any new research insights, they will help lay the foundations for helping future MS patients.

How does the MS brain bank work?

For researchers of the KKNMS, documentation of a patient’s disease course during his or her lifetime is important. Patients who decide to participate in the donor program will receive a donor card in chip card format.

In the case of a patient’s death, his or her relatives or physician should contact the Department of Neuropathology in Goettingen as soon as possible. Transport of the body to Goettingen will be organized and the tissue extraction for the donor program will be carried out. No costs will be incurred for the family or surviving dependents.

If you are interested in participating in the KKNMS donor program or have any questions, please feel free to contact us any time. All documents that need to be completed can be found here (in German only).