With the progress of society, there is an increasing need to tackle disorders of the central nervous system. Human brain tissue, unlike animal tissues, is an irreplaceable resource for the study of neurological diseases [1]. Aimed at scientific research and education, the roles of human brain tissue repositories are to acquire brain tissue from donors, prepare, process, and preserve collected samples, provide tissue to specific eligible facilities, and determine the characteristics of each tissue sample. The construction of human brain banks is highly valued by neurologists. Related academic achievements have promoted the understanding of the relationship between brain structures and functions, as well as the pathological features, etiology, and pathogenesis of neurological diseases. Meanwhile, human brain banking plays an important role in developing effective methods for preventing and treating these diseases [2]. However, the quantity and scale of brain banks in China have lagged behind those of many other countries, which hinders the related basic and clinical research [3]. International symposia on China brain bank building was held in Wenying Qiu and Hanlin Zhang have contributed equally to this work.

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In this study, the distribution of five Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Han population was examined in combination with the evaluation of clinical cognition and brain pathological analysis. The associations among SNPs, clinical daily cognitive states, and postmortem neuropathological changes were analyzed in 110 human brains from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College (CAMS/PUMC) Human Brain Bank. APOE e4 (OR = 4.482, P = 0.004), the RS2305421 GG genotype (adjusted OR = 4.397, P = 0.015), and the RS10498633 GT genotype (adjusted OR = 2.375, P = 0.028) were associated with a higher score on the ABC (Ab plaque score, Braak NFT stage, and CERAD neuritic plaque score) dementia scale. These results advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of AD, the relationship between pathological diagnosis and clinical diagnosis, and the SNPs in the Han population for future research.

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The body donation program of Peking Union Medical College was established in May 1999. From May 1999 to December 2017, a total of 5,576 registrants registered and 1,459 donors donated their bodies. Demographic and medical characteristics of the donors were analyzed. The top four causes of death were neoplasms, heart diseases, respiratory diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases. Age at death among donors who died of neoplasms were significantly lower than other causes of death (all p < .05), and the interval between registration and donation among donors who died of neoplasms was significantly shorter than that among donors with other causes (all p < .001). The age of donors when they registered ( p < .001) and donated ( p < .001) was significantly older than that of general Beijing population. This study may provide a guide for medical colleges or research institutions to establish or enhance their own body donation programs.

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