- Centralised Global Resource: AortaBank will collect and distribute high-quality aortic tissue and blood samples to researchers worldwide.
- Boosting Rare Disease Research: The initiative supports studies into conditions like Marfan Syndrome and aortic dissection.
- Enabling Collaboration: Open-access platform removes logistical barriers to sample storage, transfer and data sharing.
The University of Liverpool, in partnership with Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (LHCH), has launched a new global biobank dedicated to collecting and sharing aortic tissue and blood samples for research.
Funded by the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust (TADCT), the AortaBank is expected to support scientific efforts aimed at improving diagnosis, treatment and survival rates for patients living with aortic diseases. By bringing together high-quality biological samples from across the world, the initiative seeks to address longstanding limitations in accessing tissue for research into rare cardiovascular conditions.
Aortic dissection remains a rare and complex disease, with tissue samples typically collected only during surgical procedures. This has historically limited availability for researchers and slowed progress in understanding disease mechanisms. The AortaBank aims to overcome these challenges through a centralised, open-access platform that allows researchers globally to request and share samples and data.
Strengthening Clinical and Scientific Collaboration
Professor Mark Field, Consultant Aortic Surgeon at LHCH, said the initiative will help establish a global research infrastructure for aortic science.
“I am proud to announce that TADCT has chosen to fund a Global AortaBank, starting with LHCH. As the largest Aortic Centre in the UK, with well-established research protocols, LHCH is well placed to deliver for TADCT. The partnership will provide a biobanking resource to underpin research in aortic science across the world,” he said.
With the aorta now formally recognised as an organ, interest in its role in cardiovascular health has increased. Research into structural and functional abnormalities associated with conditions such as Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, bicuspid aortic valve and aortic dissection requires access to large and diverse biological sample collections. The Global AortaBank has been established to meet this growing demand.
Advancing Research Through Interdisciplinary Expertise
Dr Riaz Akhtar, project lead at the University of Liverpool and co-lead of the Liverpool Aortic Biomechanics and Biochemistry (LABB) Research Group, highlighted the importance of biobanking in rare disease research.
“When we established the LABB Group over 10 years ago, we realised the importance of tissue biobanking for rare but fatal diseases such as aortic dissection. The AortaBank will become a global resource enabling accelerated diagnosis, understanding of disease mechanisms, and the development of targeted therapies,” he said.
LABB is an interdisciplinary research group focused on understanding and treating aortic diseases through innovative approaches. Dr Jill Madine, from the University’s Department of Biochemistry, serves as co-lead for the group and a co-investigator on the Global AortaBank grant.
The collaboration between LHCH and the University of Liverpool — which carries out more than 250 aortic procedures annually — is expected to support the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for patients worldwide.
Supporting Long-Term Global Impact
Researchers from LABB recently visited the Aortic Institute at Yale University to exchange knowledge and apply best practices in biobanking.
Catherine Fowler, Trustee at the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust, said the initiative reflects a commitment to enabling more collaborative research worldwide.
“By removing the logistical burden and encouraging global sharing of samples and data, we’re opening the door to faster, more collaborative scientific progress that will benefit patients for generations to come,” she said.
Modelled in part on established open-access initiatives such as Brains for Dementia Research, the AortaBank is expected to become a valuable long-term resource for the global scientific community.
The project also builds on several years of pilot work supported by the Liverpool University Biobank (LUB), which helped develop the processes and technical infrastructure required to make the Global AortaBank feasible.
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