The Childhood Haematological Malignancy Resource Platform

• Research type

  Research Tissue Bank

• IRAS ID

  299633

• Research summary

  The Childhood Haematological Malignancy Resource Platform: from cells to genomes and models

• REC name

  North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  21/NE/0181

• Date of REC Opinion

  23 Nov 2021

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion

• Data collection arrangements

  The biobank will collect and store tissue samples from children suspected or diagnosed with haematological malignancies. These samples will include serum/plasma and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) derived from blood samples, as well as Mononuclear Cell preparations from Bone Marrow Aspirates (BMAs) and Bone Marrow Trephine biopsies from children undergoing diagnostic or surgical procedures at Great Ormond Street Hospital and UCLH Teenage/Young Adult Service. All samples will be pseudo-anonymised and registered onto the secure Epic Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, which will allow subsequent linkage of the samples with clinical data. Unless otherwise specified, all samples will be cryopreserved for later use.
  Patients will be approached by GOSH Consultants or research nurses responsible for their care. Informed consent will be collected according to the Human Tissue Act (HTA) Code of Practice on consent. The consent, assent and Patient Information Sheets will be explained to the patient and their parent/guardian and if required, a hospital interpreter may be used to facilitate discussion. Patients are free to withdraw consent any time and their stored sample will be destroyed unless the sample has already been used for research.

• Research programme

  Considerable pre-clinical investigation into haematological disorders is undertaken at the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children as well as at across UCL in general. This research broadly falls into one of three categories: development of novel diagnostic techniques, improving our understanding of pathogenesis of these disorders and finally, development of therapies (including immunotherapies). By collecting and storing samples from a range of patients with haematological malignancies at GOSH and at different time points through their illness course, we can create a tissue and nucleic acid bank which can be used in preclinical research studies. Whilst use of relevant cell lines, healthy donor (adult) material or animal models is possible, these do not always faithfully reproduce the behaviour of different cell types, or provide the genomic context derived from paediatric patients with haematological malignancies. The investigation of cellular therapies for haematological disorders also requires access to samples of cell populations which are distinct from the tissues affected by the disorder itself. As a result, tissue banks of diagnostic material only are unable to fulfil this need.

• Storage license

  12654

• RTBTitle

  The Childhood Haematological Malignancy Resource Platform: from cells to genomes and models

• Establishment organisation

  Joint Research & Development Office, GOSH NHS Foundation Trust

• Establishment organisation address

  Institute of Child Health

  30 Guilford Street

  London

  WC1N 1EH