NovoPath Biobank Newcastle

• Research type

  Research Tissue Bank

• IRAS ID

  314763

• Research summary

  NovoPath Biobank Newcastle

• REC name

  North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  22/NE/0054

• Date of REC Opinion

  25 Apr 2022

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion

• Data collection arrangements

  NovoPath Biobank Newcastle includes prospectively collected tissue and other samples (normal and diseased) from patients from a range of sites where the material is surplus to diagnostic requirements. Donors are approached prior to any collection of material by trained staff including Research Nurses. Donors are provided with a Patient information Sheet and are given the opportunity to ask any questions. Assuming that they wish to participate a Biobank consent form is signed by the donor (or parent/guardian) and by. the staff member taking the consent. Where the material is from an individual less than 16 years old we provide an age appropriate information sheet. The Biobank also includes the NHS Cellular Pathology archive which is largely in the form of tissue stored in paraffin blocks and which can be stored for many years. Tissue and other material is stored in (i) Cellular Pathology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, (ii) Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University and (iii) ICHNE Innovation Laboratory, Biospher, Newcastle under appropriate HTA licences.

• Research programme

  In 2017 CEPA Biobank Newcastle was established and given REC approval but it was later renamed in 2021 as NovoPath Biobank Newcastle. The rationale behind the resource remains the collection of tissue/other specimens that are surplus to diagnostic requirement that with with Biobank approval and donor consent allow (i) the use of stored material and (ii) the prospective collection of material for research and quality control purposes. We work with individual academic researchers, research groups, commercial and charitable organisations in biomarker discovery, the validation of diagnostic tests and the development of novel platforms and methods for precision diagnostics. Our activities now include collection of material from patients tested for COVID 19; this has proven to be a highly valuable resource in the development of novel tests for this virus.

• Storage license

  12193

• RTBTitle

  NovoPath Biobank Newcastle

• Establishment organisation

  The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Establishment organisation address

  Joint Research Office

  Regent Point Level 1

  Regent Farm Road

  NE3 3HD