CUH Human Research Tissue Bank

• Research type

  Research Tissue Bank

• IRAS ID

  368443

• Research summary

  Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Human Research Tissue Bank

• REC name

  East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  26/EE/0078

• Date of REC Opinion

  19 May 2026

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion

• Data collection arrangements

  The HRTB stores human tissue samples that are surplus to clinical diagnostic requirements (for example, leftover tissue from biopsies and operations after the pathologist has confirmed that diagnostic needs are met). Material may be stored as routine histology specimens (such as tissue blocks and slides) and, where available, as banked research-quality material (for example small frozen samples) and associated laboratory records. The bank also holds a limited set of linked data needed to support research use (for example sample type, date of procedure, pathology diagnosis and relevant clinical descriptors).
  Patients are provided with written information and are asked whether they agree to their surplus tissue being stored and used for future ethically approved research. Separate consent arrangements and documentation apply where specific donation routes are used (for example post-mortem examination and tissue donation). Participants can withdraw from the bank at any time; following withdrawal no further material or data will be released, and remaining banked material will be handled in line with CUH governance and regulatory requirements.

• Research programme

  The HRTB supports the Cambridge Biomedical Campus research community, enabling high-quality human tissue–based research across Cambridge University Hospitals and the University of Cambridge. It underpins programmes funded through the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and disease-focused research supported by Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute and related partners, and it provides a route for other academically led, NHS-led and (where appropriate) industry-collaborative studies to access tissue and data under consistent governance. The bank supports a broad range of translational research (research that aims to improve patient care), including: understanding the causes and behaviour of cancer and other diseases; developing and validating new pathology and molecular tests; studying how treatments work and why responses differ between people; and improving precision medicine approaches (matching the right test or treatment to the right patient). By providing a well-governed, searchable, and traceable resource, the HRTB helps researchers deliver studies more efficiently while protecting patients’ confidentiality and respecting consent.

• Storage license

  12315

• RTBTitle

  Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Human Research Tissue Bank

• Establishment organisation

  Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Establishment organisation address

  Hills Road

  Cambridge

  CB2 0QQ