Research biobanks

Mental illness includes a broad spectrum of symptom-defined disorders such as anxiety disorders, affective disorders, psychosis disorders, developmental disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders and PTSD. Mental disorders constitute a significant proportion of society's overall health challenges, and are among the most costly. Nevertheless, there is much about disease mechanisms that we do not know about, and diagnoses today are descriptive, and we know of few reliable biomarkers.

The biobank aims to increase the knowledge base on causal factors and treatment outcomes for mental disorders.  We will collect material from patients over time, so that we can follow changes and developments, as well as evaluate the effect of treatment. The consent is made so that the material can be used in other projects after application and approval by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (REK). There is TIPS (Early Detection and Intervention in Psychosis; TIPS Center for Clinical Psychosis Research)) which is responsible for collecting material. TIPS has extensive experience with research and has collected data since 1997.

Biobank manager: Professor Alf Inge Larsen

REK Vest case: 2018/1768

Heart disease is still the most frequent cause of death in the population. Considerable research is therefore being conducted in this field in which the cardiology department at SUS is an active participant. We have studies that are initiated locally and are also included in national and international studies.  Several of the studies include biological material such as blood samples and tissue samples. In order to facilitate the hospital's investment in research, the department has now established a general cardiology biobank.

The material is collected in approved studies by the cardiology department upon consent. This will be an invaluable source that will allow us to follow changes in biological material in patients with cardiology over a long period of time, and evaluate the effects of intervention. We will also have the opportunity to assess the usefulness of biomarkers for diagnostics and forecasting.

This general research biobank will lay the foundation for significantly increased quality in future research projects. The biological material will be stored indefinitely and will be used in future research in cardiology to evaluate new markers developed in the future.

The cardiology research biobank is in a start-up phase, but we have broad experience from previously time-limited biobanks associated with studies conducted at the department that have led to several publications and doctoral degrees.

Prospective Breast Cancer Biobank (PBCB) Study

Regional Biobank Manager: Prof. Gunnar Mellgren, HUS

Localled biobank manager SUS: Prof. Håvard Søiland

REK Nord case: 2010/1957

The general research biobank PBCB is a regional collaboration between Haukeland University Hospital (HUS) and Stavanger University Hospital (SUS) where we collect biological material from breast cancer patients.

The material will be used for ongoing and future breast cancer research at SUS/HUS and with collaborating institutions in Norway and abroad. Special to PBCB is the systematic and broad collection of blood samples, which will form a unique basis for a better biological understanding of breast cancer, including better biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of treatment response. The research will also lay the foundation for developing new drugs or treatment methods.

At SUS, the collection of biological material for PBCB started in the transition 2012/2013. So far, more than 300 patients have been included in Stavanger. The enrolled patients will be followed regularly for 11 years with a questionnaire package each year and blood and urine samples every six months. The blood samples will be stored in PBCB for future research in projects approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics.

At SUS, the patients are followed up in collaboration between the Breast and Endocrine Surgery Section at the Department of Surgery and the Department of Oncology.

Biobank manager: Professor Kjetil Søreide

REK Vest case 2012/742

For patients with cancer from the colon or rectum, it is important to make the correct diagnosis in order to predict the course of the disease in the best possible way, e.g. in order to identify patients who need additional treatment after surgery, and estimate their response to other treatment. This applies both to patients with possible metastasis and those with limited disease.

The general research biobank ACROBATICC has been established to collect samples of blood and tumour tissue that will be examined using modern molecular biological methods. The results from the molecular analyses will be seen in conjunction with clinical data and will thus be able to provide information about, among other things, which features of the tumor are important for the further course of the disease. We wish to include all patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer at Stavanger University Hospital, regardless of disease stage, with written consent.

Biological material from the following projects or disease groups has been entered into the biobank with the consent of the participants:- The ACROBATICC study that recruits patients with colorectal cancer.- The COLIMETRIC study, which is a subgroup of patients with metastasis to the liver, who undergo surgery and who consent to provide blood samples and tissue samples for this purpose.

Status of work: The project seeks to recruit approximately 100 patients annually. We have started pilot projects to map methods for further investigations, especially with regard to the immune system and inflammation of lymph nodes and the risk of spreading to these. Biomarkers and genes that can tell us in more detail how the tumours behave are examined to see how this can govern the choice of treatment and whether there are possibilities for new forms of treatment where treatment does not work.

Biobank responsible: Professor Roald Omdal

REK Vest case: 2011/878

Rheumatic diseases encompass a group of different conditions that affect a large part of the population. Of these, the inflammatory rheumatic diseases such as chronic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primarily Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), and others, constitute a significant number.Common to these conditions is that disturbances in the body's immune system, either primarily or secondarily, play a significant role in the development and maintenance of disease. A termination of immunological tolerance means that the immune system attacks the body's own tissues because this is perceived as foreign.

This general research biobank has been created to:1. Map manifestations and investigation of causal processes of neurological manifestations in rheumatic (chronic inflammatory) disease, such as SLE and primary Sjögren's syndrome.2. Investigate the pathogenesis and effect of treatment of such diseases.

Biological material from the following projects or disease groups is entered in the biobank with the consent of the participants:

Rheumatic diseases and the nervous systemInterleukin-1 blockade at primary Sjøgren's SyndromePsoriasis project in collaboration with the Department of DermatologyStatus of the work:Rheumatic diseases and the nervous system is a program that is ongoing continuously, with national and international partners. The programme has so far led to 4 doctoral degrees and a large number of articles. During the autumn of 2013, a new study will be started that will map all newly arrived patients with primary Sjøgren's syndrome.The psoriasis project is ongoing with patients and healthy control persons, and the data collection is expected to be completed by the end of 2014. The collected material will then be analysed for publication.

Biobank-ansvalig: Senior consultant dr. med. Terje Apeland

Rek Vest case: 2013/1286

Chronic kidney disease is relatively common. It is estimated that about 10% of the adult population has a problem with their kidneys to a greater or lesser extent. About one in ten kidney patients can develop significant kidney failure, and it is especially these patients who incur complications in the form of cardiovascular disease.

Diabetes, kidney inflammation, high blood pressure and congenital problems are among the leading causes of kidney disease. There are often treatment options for these patient groups to prevent or delay the disease from progressing and becoming serious.

Research on renal diseases in relation to diagnosis, treatment and prognosis is crucial to ensure that the population has a high quality of health services. The general research biobank on kidney diseases in Stavanger has primarily been established to study:

The importance of oxidation in the various kidney diseases and in increasing renal failure. The body has defense systems against the "corrosive damage" that reactive oxygen species can do in the body. Kidney failure reduces the body's ability to defend in this area, and often there will also be increased formation of harmful oxygen compounds. The importance of disorders of mineral and bone metabolism. The body's turnover of calcium and phosphorus is adversely affected by renal failure. This leads to an increased tendency to diseases of the skeleton and blood vessels. The importance of various markers of incipient kidney disease and renal failure. Early detection of kidney disease and kidney failure is important; Then you have the opportunity to provide treatment that improves or counteracts deterioration. Biological material is entered in the biobank only with the written consent of the participants. The samples and information will be treated confidentially.  All research projects are and will be in line with Norwegian legislation and approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health-related Research Ethics (REK Vest).

Status of work: Research into kidney diseases and their complications started about 10 years ago and is still continuous. The programme has already led to several articles in various international journals as well as a PhD project.

Biobank responsible: Professor Emilius A. M. Janssen

REK Vest case 2015/868

The general research biobank SOLIDTH has been established to collect biological material from most types of cancer.The material will be used for ongoing and future cancer research at SUS and other collaborating institutions. The research will be able to create a better biological understanding of cancer, including better biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of treatment response. The research will also lay the foundation for developing new drugs or treatment methods.

The biobank is scheduled to start collecting biological material in early 2016.

The general research biobank will contribute to a significant quality increase in future research projects. SOLIDTH will be part of the hospital's infrastructure and will make the process of collecting biological material and clinical data less vulnerable. This is important in terms of sample quality, safety and standardisation, and it will increase both the quality and utilisation of the material in future research projects.

Gastrointestinal-tumor-and-neoplasia (GITAN)

Biobank responsible: Professor Jon Arne Søreide

REK Vest case 2013/1502

The Department of Gastroenterological Surgery has established a general research biobank ("GITAN" – gastrointestinal-tumor-and-neoplasia) for research projects on solid tumours and early tumour changes in the upper part of the digestive tract (oesophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, bile ducts, small intestine).The biobank will build a foundation for future research projects in the field. The material should be taken in conjunction with diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. Patients who are asked to provide material will be referred for malignant or pre-malignant conditions of the upper part of the digestive tract. All individual research projects that will use material from the general research biobank will apply to REK for prior approval. We expect to collect samples from about 150 patients annually, and want to store, among other things, tumor tissue, blood samples, genetic material and urine samples.

Biological material from all patients diagnosed with tumour changes in the upper part of the digestive tract at Stavanger University Hospital, irrespective of stage of the disease, should be entered in the biobank with the written consent of each individual.

Status of work: The collection is under start-up. The biobank has not yet resulted in any scientific results.

Prognostic and predictive factors in urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder

Biobank manager: Division Director Hans Tore Frydnes.

REC West case 2009/804

This general research biobank has been created to investigate existing and new biomarkers to predict the prognosis of urothelial carcinomas of the urinary bladder.Taking T1 urothelial carcinomas are the most common form of urinary bladder cancer in the Western world, 70% relapse and 30% progress to a higher stage. This general research biobank provides the possibility of investigating new prognostic/predictive biomarkers in Ta T1 urothelial carcinomas in the urinary bladder through ongoing and future research projects. By analysing selected markers, we hope to achieve an improvement in the prognostic and predictive value of the established practice for analysing samples and thus avoid over- and undertreatment of patients.

Biological material from 250 persons with urothelial carcinomas diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, SUS between 2002 and 2006 has been entered in the biobank with the consent of REK. The material consists of paraffin blocks plus DNA/total RNA isolated from these paraffin blocks.

Status of work: The first project section on proliferation as a marker for progression of the disease has been carried out. A PhD student is expected to defend their thesis in April 2014.The second project part that deals with mapping the patient's immune system around the tumor is expected to be completed in the summer of 2014.Mutation analysis for FGFR3 and p53 will also be performed during 2014.

Biobank manager: Professor Dag ÅrslandREK Vest case 2014/328

The SESAM biobank contains blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain tissue from people with age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Parkinson's disease. This is a research biobank, and research on these major disease groups is crucial for understanding underlying disease mechanisms. This is crucial knowledge for developing new diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic techniques. The research is part of close collaboration with other research groups in Norway, but also in Sweden, England and other European countries.

The SESAM biobank was established in connection with the Stavanger Parkinson project, where we studied brain changes that could cause dementia development in patients with Parkinson's disease. The largest study is the dementia study in Western Norway, DemVest, where blood, spinal fluid and brain tissue from patients with various forms of dementia are examined. The two most recent studies are Dementia Disease Initiation (DDI) and DemGene, two national collaborative projects focusing on the blood and spinal fluid of people with early memory alterations (DDI) and on the genetic changes that affect the development of memory and other cognitive and psychiatric symptoms (DemGene).

Our studies so far have made significant contributions to the understanding of which changes in the brain, cerebrospinal fluid and DNA cause dementia in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.

Biobankansvarlig: Einar Haukås

Biobank manager: Professor Håvard Søiland

REK case: 2016/1079

The Bio-TiPSS biobank collects biological material from patients referred to Stavanger University Hospital and Telemark Hospital Trust for assessment or treatment of benign diseases of the thyroid and parathyroid glands.

The purpose of the biobank is to store samples for future research that can provide knowledge about biomarkers for diagnostics and knowledge about various benign thyroid and parathyroid diseases.

The biobank will collect tissue samples, spinal fluid, saliva samples, urine samples, stool samples and blood samples. Additional blood samples will generally be collected at the same time as routine tests. Tissue samples will be taken as part of a diagnostic or treatment-oriented procedure, or retrieved from surplus material after diagnostic procedures or surgical procedures.

Biobank responsible: Stein Eagle

Biobank manager: Irene T. Øvestad

REK-vest case: 2016/805

Women who participate in the screening programme for cervical cancer are referred to the Gynecological Outpatient Clinic at SUS for a biopsy, if they have been diagnosed with cervical dysplasia or are HPV positive. Microscopic examination of the biopsies reveals high-grade precancerous lesions of the cervix, while others have normal biopsies.

In addition to biopsies that are formalin-fixed, a biopsy is immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and blood samples are taken. This material will be stored in a general research biobank that will form the basis for developing prognostic biomarkers that can identify women who are at greatest risk of developing cervical cancer after a persistent HPV infection. Evidence suggests that differences in the individual immune response have an influence on who develops this disease. To detect such differences, one will compare women who develop high-grade precursors to cervical cancer after an HPV infection and those who do not. In this way, the individual woman can receive a more targeted follow-up and treatment. Since the summer of 2015, we have included 300 participants and expect to have approx. 400 before we finish fundraising in June 2018.

Research biobanks always fall under the Health Research Act, and in a few cases also the Biotechnology Act with regulations. These laws stipulate the rights and obligations that entail both being a patient (project participant) who submits material to a biobank, and a researcher or institution responsible for the material.