Pathology as the cornerstone of human tissue banking: experiences in the post-genomics era

Abstract

Unprecedented advances in biomolecular technology have greatly increased the power and precision of analytical tools used in cancer research and have accelerated the drive toward personalised medicine. Human specimens that are analysed using these new and developing technology platforms have emerged as a critical resource for basic and translational research in cancer because they are a direct source of molecular data from which targets for therapy, detection, and prevention are identified. As a result this has stimulated a growing demand for carefully collected, appropriately stored and well-annotated tumour specimens worldwide. This requirement has put pathologists in the centre of the personalised medicine world as providers of information identifying tissues and also as decision makers on what materials should be biobanked, on the preservation conditions, and on the timeline of events that precede preservation and storage. This critical position in the research process places extraordinary demands on all aspects of pathology practice, in particular as pathology laboratories are ultimately key players in delivering new medicines through molecular diagnostics. We present a national biobank network infrastructure that promotes multi-disciplinary research and has pathology underpinning tumour banking in order to facilitate multi-institutional, high throughput genomic studies. This new era of medicine requires a strategic view of ways forward for better integration of pathology, not only as ‘tissue providers’ but also as essential participants in the design, performance, interpretation, and implementation of research and clinical trials.