As part of the effort to create our PAWS-GIST clinic in the UK it was concluded that a National GIST tumour bank would be needed so that any research team considering work on GIST can have a central place to apply for this rare raw material.
Professor Andrew Hall, Director of the Northern Institute for Cancer Research, prepared and submitted a proposal to the ethics committee to set up a National GIST tumour bank and was given approval. In future these rare samples (fresh, frozen and in paraffin blocks in addition to other relevant materials can be stored for use in research programmes.
Access to primary clinical samples (tumour and matched normal blood) is vital to progress our understanding of rare tumours such as GIST. With your help we can set up a national collection of samples available to anyone with a good quality research proposal.
- This bank is a valuable resource that will support GIST cancer research locally, nationally and internationally.
- It will provide researchers with a diverse selection of high quality GIST tumour specimens and clinical data obtained by dedicated tumour bank staff who follow strict procedures and ethical guidelines.
- Research will progress faster if there is a good supply of GIST tissue upon which to test potential treatments and develop new diagnostic tests.
Operating within the NICR in Newcastle, the GIST Tumour Bank will coordinate the collection, storage and distribution of a variety of paediatric and adult biospecimens including fresh, frozen and paraffin blocks in addition to blood samples and clinical data.
Working in collaboration with pathologists, medical oncologists, surgeons and other hospital personnel, specially trained staff will obtain patient consent, collect samples and assemble clinical information about each donor and their corresponding specimens.
Please try to assist in this research by sending samples to the National GIST biobank.
If you have samples to donate please contact:
Professor Andy Hall andy.hall@ncl.ac.uk for details of the consent and donation process.
See: National GIST Tumour Bank Flyer (Pdf): Page 1 | Page 2
