Unlike organs, which are generally implanted into recipients without processing, donated tissues are generally processed before use. Such processing is often done by for-profit firms. The availability and viability of tissue has contributed to the unprecedented growth of the tissue banking industry. Unlike blood banks, which the government regulates narrowly, tissue banks are largely unregulated. While the safety of donated organs is strictly regulated, other non-organ human tissues such as skin, heart valves, bones and cartilage are scarcely regulated.
Like blood and other bodily fluids, human tissues (despite being from a cadaver) are living materials which can transmit diseases - including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and two types of viral hepatitis. Concern over infection and disease transmission potential is fueling increased concerns about the adequacy of oversight of the human tissue industry, which provides products for an estimated 300,000 transplants per year in the United States. Tissues, unlike human organs, can be harvested many hours after death, presuming proper refrigeration, and can be stored for long periods of time. Therefore, more potential donators exist for tissues than organs.
Tags: tissue, tissue banking