Scientists recognize the value of examining tissue from multiple sites soon after death and obtaining larger samples than they could while a patient was living. Cancer cells can be retrieved during such autopsies and kept alive, allowing researchers to experiment with ways to treat – or kill – them.
“It’s the power of sampling over the entire body at the same time,” said Dr. Hooper, who conducts about one rapid autopsy a month, often providing tissue for up to a half-dozen researchers interested in different questions.
Most programs focus on cancer, but efforts are underway to expand the practice, possibly to shed light on virus reservoirs in HIV patients, for instance.
Speed is essential to preserve RNA and DNA, the building blocks of cells, which can degrade quickly after death. It’s best to obtain specimens of living cells within 6 hours of death and other tissue within 12 hours, Dr. Hooper said.