Crossborder collaboration in BRoTHER project

We started new crossborder collaboration with Bavarian colleagues in BRoTHER project

Biobank Research on Telemedical Approaches for Human Biobanks in a Eurpean Region

Bio-banking represents a pivotal prerequisite for further developments in personalized medicine. In this context, building networks of biobanks represent a crucial element to enable large multicentric clinical trials. On the European level the “Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure – European Research Infrastructure Consortium” (BBMRI-ERIC) is an important network for biobanks in Europe. BBMRI is a European leader in biobanking, and is crucially involved in further developments of the biobank-idea. Beside this great network, regional biobank-networks could significantly improve the translational and basic research within the connected regions. To enable an optimal collaboration of regional biobanks, web based tools for data exchanges are mandatory to guarantee a long-term success of such a network.

The aim is to create a prototype of a digital pathology framework in which secondary consultations regarding biobank-specimens could be conducted remotely for accurate tissue diagnosis and the potential use in a research project (i.e. tele-pathology). Therefore, we believe that employing the mature enough Whole Slide Imaging (WSI) and Virtual Microscopy (VM) technologies in a regional network of tissue biobanks will not only provide access to such expertise, but will also create new research-projects within that network. Furthermore, by comparing the produced histological slides of the stored tissue samples between the connected biobanks an interactive discussion regarding tissue storage and pre-analytics will be promoted. Therefore, our framework will include the possibility of interactive standard operation procedure (SOP) -development regarding tissue sampling, pre-analytics and tissue storage techniques. Thus, the network will promote future collaboration-projects due to harmonized SOP's. Finally, a so-called minimal-information set regarding the histo-pathological information which should be part of a biobank specimen evaluation prior to potential inclusion in a research project will be established. To train the handling of the digital pathology framework and the application of the SOP's within the infrastructure of the connected biobanks, a training-program will be established for biobank-staff. After the funding period this workshop will be open for all interested members of human biobanks. In addition, by public events the consortium will inform the public in the participating regions regarding the need and the function of biobanking for the health care especially with view to the need for collaborative work of biobanks.

Thus, the BRoTHER integrates both, the interregional cooperation on the scientific but also on the public level.

Project-partners

Coordinator of the project and project management

University Regensburg
Institute of Pathology
PD Dr. Christoph Brochhausen-Delius