To date, there are no tissue banks in Lebanon and the region. The establishment of the first Lebanese Human Tissue Bank was our goal. A bank whose operational standards are based on international safety and traceability standards, in order to satisfy the different needs of the country and even those of the region. Several types of tissues can be prepared and preserved in a bank: amniotic membrane, femur heads, heart valves, bones, aortas, skin, cornea ... But the tissues with which we started the project are: 1- the amniotic membrane for use in ophthalmology, and 2- femoral heads (preparation in progress) for use in orthopedics. The use of the human amniotic membrane in pathology is not a recent technique. It is used in the treatment of skin burns, chronic ulcers and as a preventive treatment of tissue adhesion in a variety of surgeries. However, it is only very recently that this technique has seen a resurgence of interest in ophthalmology. The first studies reported have shown that amnion grafting considerably improves superficial corneal healing, particularly in ocular surface pathologies induced by chemical and thermal burns, thanks to its anti-inflammatory, anti-scarring and angiogenic properties and as a new basement membrane. It is also very rich in growth factors capable of stimulating epithelialization by corneal cells after implantation. Since then, the field of indications for amniotic grafting has expanded to include other corneal abnormalities. Participation in scientific events Ziad Khoueir; Waked Naji; Nour Maya N Haddad; Mireille Kallassy Aouad Biomolecular profile of 18 months cryopreserved amniotic membranes. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science April 2014, Vol.55, 4520. doi: ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract, April 2014. Naji Waked, Mireille Kallassy Awad. High standard amniotic membrane bank now available in Lebanon. IX Congress of the Middle East African Council of ophthalmology. March 29 till April 1, 2007. Mireille Kallassy The Lebanese Bank of Human Tissues: establishment, functioning, organization 1st FRENCH-LEBANESE SYMPOSIUM on the amniotic membrane in ophthalmology, Faculty of Sciences, Saint Joseph University, Mar Roukos, Lebanon, Saturday, June 17, 2006.

Established in
01/01/2006

Address
Sciences and Technology Campus

Telephone : +961 1 421 381 ou +961 1 421 367
Fax : +961 4 532 657
Email : mireille.kallassy@usj.edu.lb ou fs@usj.edu.lb