UCL Eastman Biobank
Research type
Research Tissue Bank
IRAS ID
222525
Research summary
UCL Eastman Biobank
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/YH/0100
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion
Data collection arrangements
Tissues will be stored in appropriate fridges (+4C) and freezers (-20C and -80C) in designated laboratories at UCL EDI. These laboratories are well-maintained with excellent technical support and regularly reviewed/audited for Health and Safety and appropriate Risk Assessment.
Targeted patient groups referred to the Tissue Collection Centres for a diagnostic/therapeutic procedure will be invited to consent to give access to their notes and imaging for research and to donate tissue for the Biobank. The majority of patients attending for treatment at UCL EDH will have several appointments before the clinical diagnostic procedure. The relevant patient information sheets will be given to the patient at their initial appointment, so that patients will have at least 24 hours to consider the information given to them. At subsequent appointments they will meet an individual who has knowledge of the Biobank and related research programmes who will be able to answer any questions that the patient may have. This trained staff member will assess the patient's ability to understand and retain the information provided in the Patient Information Sheet and if they believe the patient is appropriately informed they will ask the patient to sign the consent form. If patients are unlikely to have several appointments before treatment, the patient information sheets will be sent out with the new patient appointments.
Research programme
Research programme supported by the bank should contribute to advancements in the understanding and treatment of oral and general disease. They will include the following: 1. Search for biomarkers, molecular targets and profiles related to prognostic and predictive markers of disease but also disease progression and disease outcome; 2. Investigating the causes of disease, damage and degeneration in hard and soft tissues; 3. Establishing novel culture methodologies for generating distinct cell types from sources including dental pulp, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. Cells obtained from these sources may have stem cell properties and therefore can be manipulated to produce a variety of tissues (e.g. bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle, brain cells); 4. Establishing methods to discriminate structure/function relationships based on mechanical testing and biochemical composition of tissues; 5. Understanding disease related biology and testing drug response prior to clinical trials; 6. Developing and validating 3-dimensional models of tissue explanted intact or reconstructed on grafts and implants for studying novel therapies prior to clinical trials; 7. Developing and validating models to predict responses to novel adjuvant treatments and agents; 8. Searching for evidence of age and disease relevant epigenetic modifications in tissue and investigating the mechanisms; 9. Developing non-invasive measuring tools to assess mechanical properties and early damage or repair markers to target more appropriately preventative strategies for rapid assessment of response to novel treatments and side effects on tissues; 10. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic evaluation and monitoring of drugs or therapeutic agents in target or surrogate tissue in early phase clinical trials. 11. Evaluate the association between molecular characteristics and profiles of tissue with therapeutic modulation; 12. Examine the influence of genetic variat
Storage license
12277
RTBTitle
UCL Eastman Biobank
Establishment organisation
UCl Eastman Dental Institute
Establishment organisation address
256 Gray Inn Road
London
WC1X 8LD