Resources
Case Study: Biospecimen Locator for National Foundation for Cancer Research
Client
National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR).
Background
The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) and their partner in China established a cancer tissue bank that systematically collects human cancer tissues, blood, and other biospecimens, and preserves these precious samples for cancer research. To date, the tissue bank has collected and systematically annotated over 19,000 cancer tissues and nearly 8,000 blood samples. These samples are well preserved to keep them suitable for research with all the cutting-edge molecular techniques (such as DNA chip technology) for identification of new cancer biomarkers and for early detection of molecular targets for drug development. In partnership with NFCR, 5AM is building a web-based biospecimen search, tracking and review management system to help make these valuable biospecimens available to the research community.
Challenge
Many cancer biologists can testify that cancer tissues obtained directly from the patients are the most reliable source for basic cancer research. From these tissues, scientists can directly extract unaltered, multi-dimensional information about DNA, RNA, protein, biological pathways, and many other aspects of cancer. Because these data reflect the real living conditions of cancers before they were removed from the patients, they provide critical insights to scientists on cancer biology. Moreover, they save a tremendous amount of time in identifying the most appropriate cancer targets and developing more effective therapeutics. The NFCR is forming partnerships with institutions in China to collect cancer biospecimens from ethnic groups that are otherwise difficult to find. 5AM’s biospecimen locator application will import biospecimen inventory data from member institutions to its central database, provide researchers with the ability to search the inventory and request biospecimens, and allow NFCR to review and manage these requests online.
Process
In 2004, in partnership with the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital (TMUCIH), NFCR opened its Joint Tissue Banking Facility in Tianjin, China. This facility is aimed at establishing a large-scale tissue bank as well as a systematic information system, which would promote more collaborative research on cancer genetics, biomarkers, and new drug development. Presently, the Joint Tissue Banking Facility has systematically accumulated and catalogued over 20,000 tissue samples from patients with breast, lung, colon, liver, skin, and other types of cancer. In addition, data covering the pathological characterization, clinical treatment, and disease outcomes of the cancer patients have been integrated into the system in a confidential manner, providing researchers vital information in sample selections and data analysis. A steering committee of leading scientists from renowned universities and research hospitals in the United States and China ensures that the tissue bank operates in total compliance with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) regulations and institutional policies. 5AM is working closely with NFCR to deploy a web-based application that imports key biospecimen data from member institutions, allows the biospecimen fields to be searched, and supports the NFCR’s review process for biospecimen requests.
Result
NFCR’s Joint Tissue Banking Facility will provide invaluable cancer samples together with their comprehensive clinical information to scientists within and outside of NFCR's worldwide network of scientists. This collaborative research effort on cancer will lead to improved cancer classification, personalized therapy regimens, early diagnostic tests, and more effective cancer therapies. NFCR's effort in establishing the Joint Tissue Banking Facility fosters more research breakthroughs and could benefit millions of cancer patients around the world. 5AM’s web-based application is facilitating NFCR’s efforts to reach out to the community. The initial set of features for the NFCR application has been built, and a public demo site is available at https://nfcr-demo.5amsolutions.com/tissuelocator-web/browse.action.
Applied Expertise
Stakeholders or Partners List
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital
- Pfizer (sponsor of NFCR)
- Amgen (sponsor of NFCR)
- Eli Lilly (sponsor of NFCR)
