Building a 'Repository of Science': The importance of integrating biobanks within molecular pathology programmes.
Repositories containing high quality human biospecimens linked with robust and relevant clinical and pathological information are required for the discovery and validation of biomarkers for disease diagnosis, progression and response to treatment. Current molecular based discovery projects using either low or high throughput technologies rely heavily on ready access to such sample collections. It is imperative that modern biobanks align with molecular diagnostic pathology practices not only to provide the type of samples needed for discovery projects but also to ensure requirements for ongoing sample collections and the future needs of researchers are adequately addressed. Biobanks within comprehensive molecular pathology programmes are perfectly positioned to offer more than just tumour derived biospecimens; for example, they have the ability to facilitate researchers gaining access to sample metadata such as digitised scans of tissue samples annotated prior to macrodissection for molecular diagnostics or pseudoanonymised clinical outcome data or research results retrieved from other users utilising the same or overlapping cohorts of samples. Furthermore, biobanks can work with molecular diagnostic laboratories to develop standardised methodologies for the acquisition and storage of samples required for new approaches to research such as 'liquid biopsies' which will ultimately feed into the test validations required in large prospective clinical studies in order to implement liquid biopsy approaches for routine clinical practice. We draw on our experience in Northern Ireland to discuss how this harmonised approach of biobanks working synergistically with molecular pathology programmes is a key for the future success of precision medicine.
Molecular Pathology Programme, Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, United Kingdom. Electronic address: claire.lewis@qub.ac.uk.
Claire
C
Lewis
Molecular Pathology Programme, Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, United Kingdom; Tissue Pathology, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AB, United Kingdom. Electronic address: s.mcquaid@qub.ac.uk.
Stephen
S
McQuaid
Bioimaging & Informatics, Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, United Kingdom. Electronic address: p.hamilton@qub.ac.uk.
Peter W
PW
Hamilton
Molecular Pathology Programme, Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, United Kingdom; Tissue Pathology, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AB, United Kingdom. Electronic address: m.salto-tellez@qub.ac.uk.
Manuel
M
Salto-Tellez
Bioimaging & Informatics, Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, United Kingdom. Electronic address: d.mcart@qub.ac.uk.
Darragh
D
McArt
Molecular Pathology Programme, Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, United Kingdom; Tissue Pathology, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AB, United Kingdom. Electronic address: j.james@qub.ac.uk.
Jacqueline A
JA
James
D018070:Biological Specimen Banks; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D035843:Biomedical Research; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D062126:Databases, Chemical; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D048088:Informatics; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D009660:Northern Ireland; D057089:Pathology, Molecular; D057285:Precision Medicine
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
Biobank; Digital pathology; Informatics; Molecular diagnostics; Molecular pathology; Tissue bank