Wales Cancer Bank: against COVID-19 ^Laboratory

The Wales Cancer Bank (WCB) is a biobank that collects samples of tissue and blood from patients in Wales where cancer is a possible diagnosis. The samples are stored to form a biorepository to which researchers worldwide can apply for biosamples and/or data. The Wales Cancer Bank is licensed by the Human Tissue Authority (licence 12107) to store human tissue for research and has ethics approval from Wales Research Ethics Committee 3 as a research tissue biobank to collect and issue biomaterials for cancer related research.
Covid 19 work: The Wales Cancer Bank has been approached to ascertain availability of biosamples for use as control samples in COVID19 work. We do have samples available but our ethics approval is to issue samples for cancer related research. Clearly any developments in developing tests or treatment would benefit cancer patients as they are in a high risk group but as the work is not specifically cancer related, we seek REC approval to relax our stated criteria for COVID19 related research over the next 6-12 months.

This will only make use of samples already collected and stored in the biobank so there will be no changes to the patient information sheet or consent form. Any request for samples will be scrutinised via the expedited review process used for pilot projects. The Sample Issue policy and relevant SOP have both been updated to include statements on supply of samples to Public Health Emergency projects and the related process.