The role of the pathologist in tissue banking: European Consensus Expert Group Report

Human tissue biobanking encompasses a wide range of activities and study designs and is critical for application of a wide range of new technologies (-“omics”) to the discovery of molecular patterns of disease and for implementation of novel biomarkers into clinical trials. Pathology is the cornerstone of hospital-based tissue biobanking. Pathologists not only provide essential information identifying the specimen but also make decisions on what should be biobanked, making sure that the timing of all operations is consistent with both the requirements of clinical diagnosis and the optimal preservation of biological products. This document summarizes the conclusions of a Pathology Expert Group Meeting within the European Biological and Biomolecular Research Infrastructure (BBMRI) Program. These recommendations are aimed at providing guidance for pathologists as well as for institutions hosting biobanks on how to better integrate and support pathological activities within the framework of biobanks that fulfill international standards

Multilocus variable number of tandem repeat analysis reveals multiple introductions in Spain of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. Pruni, the causal agent of bacterial spot disease of stone fruits and almond

Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni is the causal agent of the bacterial spot disease of stone fruits, almond and some ornamental Prunus species. In Spain it was first detected in 2002 and since then, several outbreaks have occurred in different regions affecting mainly Japanese plum, peach and almond, both in commercial orchards and nurseries. As the origin of the introduction(s) was unknown, we have assessed the genetic diversity of 239 X. arboricola pv. pruni strains collected from 11 Spanish provinces from 2002 to 2013 and 25 reference strains from international collections. We have developed an optimized multilocus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) scheme targeting 18 microsatellites and five minisatellites. A high discriminatory power was achieved since almost 50% of the Spanish strains were distinguishable, confirming the usefulness of this genotyping technique at small spatio-temporal scales. Spanish strains grouped in 18 genetic clusters (conservatively delineated so that each cluster contained haplotype networks linked by up to quadruple-locus variations). Furthermore, pairwise comparisons among populations from different provinces showed a strong genetic differentiation. Our results suggest multiple introductions of this pathogen in Spain and redistribution through contaminated nursery propagative plant material

Institutional shared resources and translational cancer research

The development and maintenance of adequate shared infrastructures is considered a major goal for academic centers promoting translational research programs. Among infrastructures favoring translational research, centralized facilities characterized by shared, multidisciplinary use of expensive laboratory instrumentation, or by complex computer hardware and software and/or by high professional skills are necessary to maintain or improve institutional scientific competitiveness. The success or failure of a shared resource program also depends on the choice of appropriate institutional policies and requires an effective institutional governance regarding decisions on staffing, existence and composition of advisory committees, policies and of defined mechanisms of reporting, budgeting and financial support of each resource. Shared Resources represent a widely diffused model to sustain cancer research; in fact, web sites from an impressive number of research Institutes and Universities in the U.S. contain pages dedicated to the SR that have been established in each Center, making a complete view of the situation impossible. However, a nation-wide overview of how Cancer Centers develop SR programs is available on the web site for NCI-designated Cancer Centers in the U.S., while in Europe, information is available for individual Cancer centers. This article will briefly summarize the institutional policies, the organizational needs, the characteristics, scientific aims, and future developments of SRs necessary to develop effective translational research programs in oncology

Biobanking for better healthcare

Translational cancer research is highly dependent of large series of cases including high quality samples and their associated data. Comprehensive Cancer Centers should be involved in networks to enable large-scale multi-center research projects between the centers [Ringborg, U., de Valeriola, D., van Harten, W., Llombart-Bosch, A., Lombardo, C., Nilsson, K., Philip, T., Pierotti, M.A., Riegman, P., Saghatchian, M., Storme, G., Tursz, T., Verellen, D, 2008. Improvement of European translational cancer research. Collaboration between comprehensive cancer centers. Tumori 94, 143-146.]. Combating cancer knows many frontiers. Research is needed for prevention as well as better care for those who have acquired the disease. This implies that human samples for cancer research need to be sourced from distinct forms of biobanking. An easier access to these samples for the scientific community is considered as the main bottleneck for research for health, and biobanks are the most adequate site to try to resolve this issue [Ozols, R.F., Herbst, R.S., Colson, Y.L., Gralow, J., Bonner, J., Curran Jr., W.J., Eisenberg, B.L., Ganz, P.A., Kramer, B.S., Kris, M.G., Markman, M., Mayer, R.J., Raghavan, D., Reaman, G.H., Sawaya, R., Schilsky, R.L., Schuchter, L.M., Sweetenham, JW., Vahdat, L.T., Winn, R.J., and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2007. Clinical cancer advances 2006: major research advances in cancer treatment, prevention, and screening: a report from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. J. Clin. Oncol. 25, 146-162.]. However, biobanks should not be considered a static activity. On the contrary, biobanking is a young discipline [Morente, M.M., Fernandez, P.L., de Alava, E. Biobanking: old activity or young discipline? Semin. Diagn. Pathol., in press.], which need continuously evolve according to the permanent development of new techniques and new scientific goals. To accomplish current requirements of the scientific community biobanks need to face some essential challenges including an appropriate design, harmonized and more suitable procedures, and sustainability, all of them in the framework of their ethic, legal and social dimensions. This review therefore presents an overview on these issues, based on the works and discussions of the Marble Arch International Working Group on Biobanking for Biomedical Research, integrated by experts in biobanking from five continents. (C) 2008 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The Role of Epstein-Barr Virus LMP-1 Immunohistochemical Staining in Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma

BACKGROUND: There are a few published studies about prognostic markers of Epstein-B virus (EBV) related to outcomes in pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL). OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the prognostic value and effect of EBV on survival by using biopsy materials in children and adolescents diagnosed with HL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: EBV LMP-1 expression was examined using immunohistochemical methods in 58 tumor samples. Clinical features, overall survival (OS) and failure free survival time (FFS) were compared between EBV LMP-1 positive and negative patients. RESULTS: In 20 (35%) patients tumors were LMP-1 positive. When compared with patients above 10 years old, EBV LMP-1 was often positive in patients under 10 years old (30% vs. 70%, P = 0.02). In our most cases having B symptoms and advanced stage, EBV positiveness in Hodgkin Reed-Stenberg cells (H-RS) was not a significant determinant for survival (P = 0.78). Half of the past clinical trials in childhood HL reported longer survival rates in EBV LMP-1 positive patients. In some trials similar to our results there was no significant relationship between EBV and prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The reason of diminished EBV positiviness may be related to technical methods such as not using immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization for EBER antigen but in laboratory conditions painting of control tissues with EBV impair this probability. In addition, cases enrolled to our study were living in Istanbul where social and economical factors are improved rather than generally

Standard operating procedure for the collection of fresh frozen tissue samples.

Studies using fresh-frozen tissue samples originating from different centres, as is often the case in EORTC related translational research, can show conflicting research results due to heterogeneity in the quality of samples and associated data from each centre. The development of infrastructure for the European Human Frozen Tumour Tissue Bank (TuBaFrost) anticipated this problem and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been developed to ensure samples collected are of consistent high quality and variation in research results is minimised. The SOPs drew on the best practice standard workflows and operating procedures employed by members of the TuBaFrost Consortium and key tissue bank initiatives worldwide. It was essential to provide workable solutions that reflect the variety in infrastructure and resources at the potential collecting centres and also the fact that it is not necessary to standardise every step of the collection and storage process in order to collect high quality tissue. Hence, the TuBaFrost SOPs detail the compulsory measures that must be implemented in order to become a TuBaFrost collecting centre and also make advisory recommendations regarding the less critical factors. Accordingly, the TuBaFrost SOPs are very flexible and to illustrate this the complete SOP for collecting, freezing and storing tissue at the Erasmus MC Tissue Bank is included. These TuBaFrost SOPs could equally be applicable to centres collecting samples for EORTC related translational research studies in order to standardise sample quality and produce reliable and reproducible research results