A cancer biobank for the translation of research data – towards precision medicine.
Louise Winteringham1,2,3, Ashlin Donnellan1,2,3, Larissa Dymond1,2, Michael Wallace2,3,4, Janina Tirnitz-Parker3,5, Peter Leedman1,2,3 1Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, WA, Australia2University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia3Liver Cancer Collaborative, Australia4Department of Hepatology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital,, Nedlands, WA, Australia5Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
Abstract
We have developed research infrastructure to advance precision medicine in oncology. Here we describe an end-to-end translational pipeline that includes a cancer tissue biobank, platforms for the generation of research data and a digital environment to analyse, capture and share integrated research and clinical data. The Perkins Cancer Biobank provides the overarching governance structure developed to streamline participant consent, biospecimen collection and data generation within a single protocol. This provides the potential for production of research data without additional approval, and importantly, where fresh tissue is required (e.g. single cell sequencing, organoid generation) samples can be transferred directly for processing. Tumour samples collected within the biobank framework are distributed for data production, including single cell sequencing, whole exome sequencing and other omics or biochemical assays or drug profiling using in vitro technologies such as patient-derived organoids and pre-clinical analysis using in vivo models, as well as undergoing cryopreservation for future studies. Any secondary samples e.g. cell lines, organoids, patient-derived xenografts etc. are returned to the biobank and data generated is captured in a digital platform as FAIR data. We are collaborating with Aridhia to co-design a customisable digital research environment that can support the cutting-edge analysis and integration of our laboratory-based data with clinical information.
The Perkins Cancer Biobank has partnered with the Liver Cancer Collaborative to build a world-class biorepository of longitudinally collected hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma samples. This partnership will bring together research data with linked patient records to develop a scalable and transferable precision medicine-based clinical tool.
Biography
Dr Winteringham is a cancer biologist and leads the Translational Cancer Research Program at the Harry Perkins Institute. She completed her MSc in Clinical Immunology at Royal Perth Hospital and her PhD studies at the UWA Medical School under the supervision of Professor Peter Klinken. In 2014, Dr Winteringham was invited to join The FANTOM5 consortium (Riken, Japan), undertaking extensive analysis of mammalian cell-type-specific transcriptomes leading to several high impact publications. In 2017 she initiated the Translational Cancer Research Program collaborating with a strong multi-disciplinary team to provide a co-ordinated approach to translating laboratory discoveries into new cancer treatments.