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Upcoming Events
Announcing the 9th Annual Australasian Biospecimen Network Association (ABNA) Meeting "Diagnostics, Research and Biobanks - Integration for improved health outcomes"
Thursday 17th November- Friday 18th November 2011
Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Western Australia.
For information regarding registration, abstract submission and hotel bookings go to the conference website www.abna2011.org. Further meeting information including the ABNA dinner venue and meeting programme will be available shortly.
International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories 2012 Annual Meeting and Exhibits
Westin Bayshore Hotel,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
May 15-18, 2012.
3rd annual World Biobanking Summit
and exhibition - Hamburg, Germany
30 June-1 July, 2011. For more information go to www.selectbiosciences.com/conferences/WBS2011/index.aspx.
Familial Aspects of Cancer: Research and Practice - Mantra on Salt Beach, Kingscliff, Queensland
The 'Familial Aspects of Cancer: Research and Practice' Conference will be held from 22-26 August 2011 at Mantra on Salt Beach, Kingscliff, Queensland, Australia. This is a joint meeting of kConFab, the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study, the Australian Breast Cancer Family Study, the Australasian Colorectal Cancer Family Study and the Family Cancer Clinics of Australia and New Zealand. For more information, please go to www.kconfab.org.
Flyer
Satellite meeting: Predicting mutation carriers and risk: from theory to practice.
August 22, 2011. More details available at www.kconfab.org.
Clinical Oncological Society of Australia 38th annual Scientific Meeting - Perth Convention Exhibition Centre,
Perth, WA
15 - 17 November 2011. For more information go to www.cosa.org.au/asm/event-asm.html.
Recent Meetings
The 8th Annual Australasian Biospecimen Network Association (ABNA) Meeting - held on the 2nd December, 2010 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. For detailed information including powerpoint presentations see section Previous ABN annual meetings
2010 Meeting flyer
ABN-Oncology
Work on the Australasian Biospecimen Network-Oncology Project commenced in 2005 and the project was re-funded in 2010 with the awarding of a 2nd Enabling Grant from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Centre for a further 5 years. The main aim of the ABN-Onc project is to support, link and grow the tumour banking efforts of institutions in Australia. As part of this aim, we have developed a web-based tissue specimen locator which allows researchers to search a national database to find out if and where the tissue they need is available. A protocol document is also available in order to maintain a high quality of samples across collection sites and assist new tissue banks in developing procedures. Communication across the ABN is facilitated by an email list maintained by the ABN-Oncology Hub Manager and this website, enabling individuals to be aware of our activities. Development of the Tissue Specimen Locator - Progress Report
The ABN-Oncology Tissue Specimen Locator has been available on line since late 2006. Several ABN-Oncology banks are now linked up, to search for specimens please click on the Search for Biospecimens link in the menu options. Expressions of Interest to have samples listed on the site can be made by contacting the ABN-Oncology Hub Manager.
Guidelines for Biorepository Protocols
A document containing general guidelines and suggested protocols for biorepositories has been completed and placed on our Protocols page. These guidelines cover issues such as consent, specimen collection, specimen processing, and storage. With this document, the ABN hopes not only to provide information for new biorepositories or biorepositories developing new protocols, but also to add to the literature surrounding best practice principles in tissue banking.
Tissue Collection Activities
Click on the links below to see graphs of ABN-Oncology's biospecimen collection activities to March 2009.
Biobanks Information Paper 2010 and National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research Now Available
The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has developed this Biobanks Information Paper to provide information relevant to the establishment,
management and governance of biobanks in Australia.
Following extensive public consultation, the NHMRC has released it's National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research Involving Humans. The new National Statement includes more extensive guidance on consent, and chapters on human tissue samples, human stem cells, and research involving foetal tissue. It is available from the NHMRC website.
ABN Publication
The ABN-Onc executive committee has had an article about Tissue Banking and the ABN-Oncology project published in the Australian Journal of Medical Science. Entitled ‘The importance of biorepository networks: the Australasian Biospecimen Network - Oncology"', it is available from the Informit website.
Establishment of a 'Pathology Support Unit' as a Service for Researchers
The availability of tumour tissue to cancer scientists from recognized tumour banks has allowed researchers to translate basic understanding of cell biology into knowledge of molecular processes in malignant tissue.
Vital to using human tissue in research applications are the availability of specialised research-oriented histopathology services. The availability of such specialised histopathology services are currently limited with cancer researchers often relying on collaborative relationships and goodwill with hospital pathologists, whose time is often limited. More recently, new technologies have been developed which are designed to facilitate translational research using human tissue, but require specialized technical expertise.
Within the Children’s Hospital at Westmead Tumour Bank we have established a Pathology Support Laboratory (PSL) to support NSW cancer researchers and those working with ABN-Oncology, to facilitate research through the provision of specialized expertise in research-based tissue handling techniques. The PSL will support cancer researchers accessing tissue stored via the Australasian Biospecimen Network through
- the provision of basic tissue sectioning and standard stains, as well as high through-put immunohistochemistry for known or novel targets.
- the creation of tissue microarrays which will allow for the simultaneous examination of hundred of tissue ‘spots’ gridded onto a microscope slide.
- the provision of a digital platform for scanning microscope slides which generate high resolution images of tissue sections, which can viewed at remote sites via the internet, facilitating pathology review by experts around the world, and thus enabling researchers access to ‘virtual’ microscopy facilities.
For further details please contact:
The Tumour Bank,
The Oncology Research Unit,
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
Locked Bag 4001,
Westmead NSW 2145.
Phone 02 98451205 or 02 98453028 email TumourB@chw.edu.au
Establishment of other Enabling Grant Facilities
Breast Cancer Tissue Bank
The Breast Cancer Tissue Bank (BCTB) is a Breast Cancer research resource. It is supported by a collaborative network of cancer clinicians and researchers in Australia who cooperate to provide samples and clinical information from breast cancer patients for use in research. The over all aim of the BCTB is to improve outcomes for breast cancer patients. The initiative was launched in 2005 with support from an Enabling Grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council as well as the National Breast Cancer Foundation and Cancer Institute NSW. The Project Manager of the BCTB is Ms Jane Carpenter who co-ordinates operation from the Westmead Millennium Institute and there are six collection centres established in NSW. For further information regarding the BCTB contact jane_carpenter@wmi.usyd.edu.au or go to www.abctb.org.au.
CellBank Australia
CellBank Australia is now up and running. CellBank Australia is a repository for quality-controlled cell lines used in research. As part of this overall aim, cell cultures of value to the research community are collected from sources within Australia and overseas. Cultures are assessed for quality, replicated in the Cell Bank Australia cell culture laboratories, stored in liquid nitrogen, and then distributed on a cost-recovery basis to researchers on request. They are located at the Children's Medical Research Institute at Westmead in NSW. Funding for this project has been provided by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, and by an Enabling Grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. For enquiries about the cell bank, please email info@cellbankaustralia.com or go to www.cellbankaustralia.com.
Genetic Repositories Australia
Genetic Repositories Australia (GRA) aims to provide a central national facility for establishing, distributing and maintaining the long-term secure storage of human genetic samples from a variety of sources. GRA will provide Australian medical researchers with a central facility for the processing and secure storage of DNA and cell lines (B-lymphoblastoid cultures established from peripheral blood) collected from patients, controls and epidemiological participants from studies on a range of diseases and their outcomes. The Repositories will provide a source of clinically validated but de-identified patient material, with complete phenotypic descriptors of disease and family or cohort structure that will permit genetic analyses for disease gene identification. In addition, GRA will provide a facility, for researchers who are not themselves able to pursue DNA based research, to deposit materials for collaborative research. For more information, please email gra@unsw.edu.au or go to www.powmri.edu.au/GRA.htm.
Previous ABN Annual Meetings
The Annual Australasian Biospecimen Network Association (ABNA) Meeting was held on December 2, 2010 at the Sebel & Citigate, King George Square, Brisbane. The conference theme "Biobanking: the cornerstone and future of translational research" explored issues related to tissue banking practice and positioning, in particular how biobanking will underpin translational research.
Highlights of the meeting included the opening address by Professor Robin Mortimer AO MBBS(Hons), Senior Director of the Office of Health and Medical Research, Centre for Healthcare Improvement/Queensland Health. His talk entitled “ Benefits of Biobanking to underpin clinical research in Queensland - the OHMR perspective” allowed participants to hear about the important work that is being done in Queensland. Through the generous support of our sponsors, we were able to fund the international speaker; Prof William E. Grizzle MD, PhD from the
University of Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Center,
USA. Prof Grizzle spoke during an afternoon session with his talk entitled "Factors that affect the quality and usefulness of tissues in biomedical research" which was a thought provoking and reflective account of past, current and future practices in biobanking. Other highlights included the poster session presentations, and of course the conference dinner which this year included a touching reflective talk given by Mr Bob Glenister OAM whose daughter is an Acute Lymphatic Leukaemia survivor. The dinner and meeting provides an opportunity for members of the biobnaking community to interact with collegues from around Australia, share knowledge and make new contacts.
Recent Publications Relevant to Biorepositories
Anne Cambon-Thomsen, Gudmundur A Thorisson and Laurence Mabile
for the BRIF workshop group The role of a bioresource research impact factor as an incentive to share human bioresources Nature Genetics 43(6) 503-504
Cadigan, R. Jean; Easter, Michele M.; Dobson, Allison W.; Davis, Arlene M.; Rothschild, Barbra B.; Zimmer, Catherine; Sterling, Rene; Henderson, Gail. “That's a good question”: University researchers' views on ownership and retention of human genetic specimens Genetics in Medicine: 2011 13(6) 569-575
Simon CM, L'heureux J, Murray JC, Winokur P, Weiner G, Newbury E, Shinkunas L, Zimmerman B. Active choice but not too active: Public perspectives on biobank consent models. Genet Med. 2011 May 6
Meredith Salisbury Start with the Sample Genome Technology April 2011
Catherine Shaffer Biobanking Revitalized with Powerful IT Advances. Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News 31(2)
Lucy Mathot, Monica Lindman and Tobias Sjöblom. Efficient and scalable serial extraction of DNA and RNA from frozen tissue samples. Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 547. Platell C, Zeps N, Joseph D, Spry N, Iacopetta B, Caruso V. Tumour banking as part of routine clinical practice. ANZ J Surg. 2010 Apr;80(4):203-4.
ISBER 2010 Summary Notes document prepared by ABN project co-ordinator following attendence at the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories 2010 Annual Meeting, May11-14, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Tissue Bank at Brisbane's Royal Children's Hospital
The Australasian Biospecimen Network is proud to announce a major initiative which has come about as a result of the successful relationship between The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) - Paediatric Tumour Bank and Kayaking and Cycling for Kemo Kids (KC4KK). KC4KK is a volunteer driven non-profit charitable organisation set up in 1998 to raise money for children’s cancer research and organisations that support children with cancer. To date, they have raised more than $400,000 for the CHW Tumour Bank alone.
Following the success of the CHW Tumour Bank, KC4KK wanted to expand their work supporting and promoting children’s cancer research by assisting in the development of a Paediatric Tumour Bank in Brisbane, using the model of the CHW Tumour Bank as a guide, and linking in with the ABN. |
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In June 2006, the Royal Children’s Hospital Brisbane was approached to consider the establishment of Queensland’s first Paediatric Tumour Bank Research Unit. Funds raised by KC4KK would assist with salary costs. Advice and support would be provided byThe Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the ABN.
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We are pleased to announce that the dedicated team at RCHB Oncology Unit & Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation have agreed to take on such a worthwhile challenge to establish Queensland’s first Paediatric Tumour Bank.
It is hoped that the new Tumour Bank will be established in early 2007, and will result in the availability of many more biospecimens to facilitate paediatric cancer research. The ABN would like to thank KC4KK for their generous support of this initiative.
For more information about KC4KK, please visit their website at www.k4kk.com.au. |
