Phase one of the Tissue Biobank Service has been launched in Qatar, through collaboration between the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology ( DLMP) at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Qatar BioBank (QBB).
Tissue biobanking is the process of collecting, processing, storing, and distributing human tissue samples for research purposes. These tissue samples are acquired from surplus tissue after surgical procedures or biopsies, and used to study a wide range of diseases and health conditions.
Tissue biobanking allows researchers to study diseases and health conditions at the cellular and molecular level. By analysing tissue samples, researchers can gain a better understanding of how diseases develop and progress, and they can identify potential targets for new treatments.
Dr Einas al-Kuwari, chairperson of Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at HMC said the launch of the programme is an exciting achievement and the result of the strong and long-lasting partnership between the two organisations.
“The implications of this feat are numerous and substantive as more than 300,000 diverse surgical pathology samples from 2008 and up to date will be at the disposal of the researchers,” Dr al-Kuwari said. “This will inevitably lead to further advancement in medicine and in the delivery of services to our valued patients. It is so inspiring to see how this will now enable researchers to access vast numbers of tissue samples in a smooth and robust manner to what is tailored to the needs of the services and the patients.”
While paraffin embedded tissue material will be available for researchers in Phase I, teams are getting the infrastructure ready for Phase II to store fresh tissue material, that will further enhance the pool of samples available in the tissue biobank, and therefore enhance research potential.
Dr Nahla Afifi, director of Qatar BioBank said tissue biobanking helps to advance medical research and improve patient care.
“By providing researchers with access to high-quality tissue samples, tissue biobanks like this one can support the development of new therapies and diagnostic tests that can benefit patients,” Dr Afifi said. “Enabling researchers to study human tissue samples directly can provide more accurate and relevant results. Through collaborations on important projects like the Tissue Biobank, we are building capacity in medical research in Qatar which will lead to new insights and advances.”
All researchers who are interested in tissue samples are advised to contact Qatar Biobank in the first instance to start the application process by sending their inquiries to: [email protected]
Once the application is approved by DLMP and tissue availability is confirmed, these will be included in the research proposal. Afterwards, researchers will have to apply for all necessary approvals from HMC IRB (Institutional Review Board), MRC (Medical Research Centre) and others and to submit their application on ABHATH website.
Dr Einas al-Kuwari
Dr Nahla Afifi
