Mesobank

• Research type

  Research Tissue Bank

• IRAS ID

  329894

• Research summary

  Mesobank

• REC name

  East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  23/EE/0139

• Date of REC Opinion

  30 Aug 2023

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion

• Data collection arrangements

  Tissue, blood and pleural fluid samples are collected from living patients at NHS sites in the UK which are regional specialist centres for mesothelioma treatment.
  
  Patients will have come into contact with asbestos and have either been diagnosed with mesothelioma or are being investigated for possible mesothelioma.

  Samples are collected whilst the patient is undergoing procedures to diagnose or treat mesothelioma, and are processed on site and stored using local HTA licensed storage facilities or in some cases, sent directly to researchers requiring fresh tissue.

  All fresh frozen tissue, pleural fluid and blood samples from living patients accepted into Mesobank have documented evidence of fully informed consent. Tissue Collection Centres currently open to recruitment are Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

  Patients consent to information provided directly by them or found in their medical and other health-related records, including that held by organisations such as NHS England, to be supplied to and stored by Mesobank for research purposes. Information collected includes past medical history, diagnostic tests undertaken and the results, and any treatments received. Data is stored securely within an Electronic Data Capture system and access is restricted. All data made available to researchers is anonymised.

• Research programme

  Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that arises from the pleura and peritoneum often following exposure to asbestos. Whilst there is a long latency between exposure to asbestos and the development of disease, an individual’s prognosis following diagnosis is generally poor with a median survival of 9-12 months. Owing to its historically high levels of asbestos use, the UK has the world’s highest incidence of mesothelioma per head of population. Current treatments do not cure the disease and the aim of Mesobank is to make available samples and data which may be able to assist researchers find new and more effective treatments. As well as access to tissue, researchers can request anonymised data linked to the sample, and information about the treatments they have received. Mesobank seeks to support biomedical research being undertaken within a wide range of institutions across the globe

• Storage license

  12212

• RTBTitle

  Mesobank

• Establishment organisation

  Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Establishment organisation address

  Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way

  Cambridge Biomedical Campus

  Cambridge

  CB2 0AW