GoSHARE Launches in Angus

Every day in Tayside around 7000 samples of blood are discarded after use. Now researchers are asking the public in Angus to help boost world-leading research into diseases such as cancer, diabetes and asthma by giving them access to that spare blood.

The GoSHARE project launched by the University of Dundee, in partnership with NHS Tayside Blood Sciences, is pioneering an easy way for people to help the fight against disease. It only takes one minute to sign up to GoSHARE at www.goshare.org.uk , but the benefits may be felt for generations to come, said researchers.

The project has now launched a drive to encourage people in Angus to sign up. Among other activity, the project is being advertised on buses throughout the region with the support of Stagecoach.

Colin Palmer, Professor of Pharmacogenomics at the University of Dundee and lead of the GoSHARE project, said, “What we are asking people in Angus is that they give us permission to use this leftover blood for research.  Over the past 15 years around 10% of the Tayside population (40,000 people) have signed up to genetic studies and this has resulted directly in major discoveries of genetic variants for eczema, asthma, diabetes and heart disease amongst others.

“All people need to do is register online or give us written permission. It literally takes a minute and they do not need to do anything else - there is no need for a special sample of blood to be taken and they do not need to make a visit to their doctor. All the samples which we are given access to will be made anonymous using a barcode system.”