MQ Cancer Biobank – what have we been up to?
It has been a busy year for the Macquarie University Cancer Biobank since we began banking tissue and blood specimens from cancer patients in 2019.
Our aim is to collect and distribute high quality biospecimens and associated clinicopathologic and genetic data. Our purpose is to enable translational research into the causes and treatment of cancer.
The success of the MQ Cancer Biobank relies on strong partnerships and contributions from within and outside MQ Health. For instance, we have partnered with the Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) led by Professor Howard Gurney, whose team runs world class clinical trials at Macquarie University. The MQ Cancer Biobank works closely with the CTU team to collect serial blood samples from consented patients enrolled in new clinical trials. To date, the MQ Cancer biobank has processed and stored whole blood, plasma, serum, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 48 cancer patients during the course of their treatment. These patients “are very happy to participate and donate extra blood samples to the MQ Cancer Biobank, knowing that this will lead to research into their disease, and potentially improve clinical care in the future” says Dr John Park, medical oncologist at CTU.
Last year the MQ Cancer Biobank began an ambitious project named “Collaborate and Cure”, which is generously funded by the Love Your Sister Foundation – an amazing charity founded by Samuel Johnson OAM, that is committed to the best treatment for every cancer patient. “Collaborate and Cure” will deliver cell, DNA mutation and RNA expression profiles of 100 unique cancer biospecimens. The project is not cancer-specific, and already includes brain cancers, melanoma and colorectal cancers. The data generated will be freely available to ethically approved researchers and will enable new research ideas, projects and collaborations.
The “Collaborate and Cure” project is a truly collaborative endeavour - the Macquarie Neurosurgery and GI surgical teams are great contributors – donating their expertise and time to inform and consent their patients. The Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology group ensure that the highest quality specimens are banked without affecting the clinical care of patients and Dr Tristan Dodds, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer and anatomical pathologist, reviews all specimens prior to profiling.
The biobank also supports clinical care – and recently provided tissue specimens for the PRISM genotype-based precision clinical trial for cancer patients under 21 years of age as well as specimens to the INOVATe Ovarian cancer study. These studies integrate clinical and genetic characteristics to tailor an individual’s treatment. Recently, our biobank also supported accurate clinical diagnosis by providing biospecimens to Douglas Hanley Moir for genetic testing.
The amazing patients and their families are at the centre of what we do - although they are aware that this biospecimen project may not directly benefit them, they kindly consent and contribute to the biobank, and we want to thank them for their ongoing support.
If you would like to support, collaborate or learn more about the MQ Cancer Biobank please contact helen.rizos@mq.edu.au
