Nearly one-third of parents who undergo pregnancy termination wish to donate the embryo or fetus for scientific research. Amsterdam UMC’s Fetal Biobank, established in 2017, fulfills this need while advancing research.
The biobank, managed by gynaecologist Eva Pajkrt and PhD candidate Yousif Dawood, stores tissues from embryos and fetuses up to 24 weeks gestation, primarily from medical terminations.
Research benefits from this biobank include a better understanding of human organ development and disease. To date, over 500 samples have been stored, with around 80-100 donations each year. This collaboration supports global scientific efforts, offering rare materials for research on fetal development, such as kidney development and the fetal gut barrier.
Read full article (in Dutch) here.
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