Oxford Vaccine Centre Biobank

• Research type

  Research Tissue Bank

• IRAS ID

  196396

• Research summary

  Oxford Vaccine Centre Biobank

• REC name

  South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/SC/0141

• Date of REC Opinion

  10 May 2016

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion

• Data collection arrangements

  This OVC Biobank will include biological samples (genetic material (DNA and/or RNA) and/or serum and/or human cellular material) obtained from participants enrolled in studies conducted by the Oxford Vaccine Group. The OVC Biobank is managed by staff of the Oxford Vaccine Group, and this group is the primary user of the facility. However, external investigators will also be permitted to deposit samples, including cellular material, for future research related to immunisation, immunity and infectious diseases.

• Research programme

  The Oxford Vaccine Centre conducts a large number of studies into immunisation and infectious disease, enrolling many hundreds of participants per year. The biological samples obtained in the course of these studies provide an opportunity to create a ‘Biobank’ of stored biological samples to facilitate further research on immunisation, immunity and infectious diseases. We collate serum samples to provide insights into areas relevant to infectious disease and immunisation such as vaccine responses, antibody kinetics, population immunity and potentially immune mediated adverse events after immmunisation. Furthermore biological material containing human cells (including, but not limited to, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), gastrointestinal biopsy samples, throat swabs and stool samples) is collected in studies conducted by the Oxford Vaccine Group. Storage and subsequent analysis of these samples will allow further research into areas including cellular and mucosal immune responses and the impact of the microbiome on immune responses. Previous studies investigating genetic determinates of vaccines responses have explored a limited number of candidate genes and have not been able to account for the degree of heritability inferred by twin studies. Many genes are likely to play a small but significant part in determining responses to vaccination. We intend to use contemporary genotyping techniques to help elucidate these complex vaccine-host interactions. Elucidating the genetic determinants of vaccine induced responses may expand our understanding of vaccine-host interactions and dawn an era of ‘predictive vaccinology’. The Oxford Vaccine Centre Biobank would act as a secure and regulatory compliant storage facility for these samples, allowing investigators to continue to conduct further research in immunisation, immunity and infectious diseases.

• Storage license

  12217

• RTBTitle

  Oxford Vaccine Centre Biobank

• Establishment organisation

  Oxford Vaccine Centre, University of Oxford