Canada’s largest clinical trials tumour bank, for the first time in its nearly 30-year history, has moved its operations under one roof at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC).
On Jan. 28, KHSC announced that the Tumour Tissue Data Repository (TTDR), a national biobank that’s part of the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG), has consolidated its previously dispersed facilities into a single, centralized space at KHSC.
TTDR houses biological samples collected from patients enroled in CCTG cancer clinical trials. In an interview with The Journal, Dr. Lois Shepherd, senior investigator at CCTG and professor emeritus in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at Queen’s, the repository was established to ensure long-term scientific value beyond the completion of individual trials.
“The Tumour Tissue Data Repository is what’s called a biobank or a biorepository,” Shepherd said. “All the samples that we have are associated with patients who have been put on a clinical trial to treat cancer or look at different aspects of cancer.”
The repository was formally established in 1997 to prospectively collect patient samples so researchers could revisit them after the trial outcomes were known.
“When a trial was finished, and the primary outcomes were known, we would have a rich biological collection of samples that researchers could ask specific questions about, like why patients responded to treatment, who might respond and who wouldn’t, and why they got adverse effects,” Shepherd added.
What began as a collection of tumour biopsy samples has since expanded into a biological archive. According to Shepherd, the TTDR now includes blood, plasma, serum, urine samples, and their extracted DNA and RNA—all approved for research use.
While the repository has been based in Kingston, its activities were previously scattered across multiple sites at KHSC and Queen’s, a setup that eventually became impractical as the volume and complexity of the samples grew.
“We were located in a whole variety of different areas around the hospital, as well as Queen’s,” Shepherd explained. “We were outgrowing our space, and it wasn’t particularly efficient.”
The TTDR maintained dozens of ultra-low temperature freezers—some stored in different locations—while other aspects of sample processing and analysis took place elsewhere.
“Our clinical trial numbers grow every year,” Shepherd said. “We recruit patients not only from Canada, but the United States, South America, Europe, and the Far East. So, we have a growing number of samples that we have to accommodate.”
The consolidation brings the entire operation into Watkins wing at KHSC, “supported in part by funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation,” which enabled renovations and the acquisition of new equipment.
The newly consolidated TTDR is co-located closer to the Queen’s Laboratory for Molecular Pathology (QLMP), which provides molecular and genomic analysis for clinical trials, hospital patients, and external researchers.
“The flow of samples and the interaction and the sharing of technology and technologists has vastly improved, or will vastly improve, the efficiency of the whole operation,” Shepherd said.
According to Shepherd, QLMP’s growing genomics program supports oncology care at KHSC, helping clinicians identify tumour markers that guide treatment decisions.
“That allows them to tailor treatment according to what they find,” Shepherd said. “So, I think overall it’s a win-win for all patients—both those on clinical trials and those receiving care at KHSC.”
The centralized facility also includes a digital pathology and imaging suite, an area Shepherd says is rapidly evolving with the integration of artificial intelligence and bioinformatics.
“There are opportunities for faculty to develop projects that will use the expertise of the TTDR and the QLMP,” Shepherd said. “Their students will be able to work within our facility and develop research projects under the guidance of the people that run it.”
Shepherd added that the long-term vision is to make high quality, digitized data accessible to researchers worldwide.
“Once you have images mounted digitally, you can export them to researchers around the world to ask specific questions of that raw data,” Shepherd noted.
As cancer research increasingly shifts toward precision medicine, Shepherd emphasizes the consolidated facility positions Kingston to play a central role in that transition.
“All of this is with an intent to focus on patient care,” Shepherd said. “To increase the personal aspect of an individual’s diagnosis and hone the approach to treating patients, to minimize side effects and maximize results.”
Tags
cancer, Cancer Research, KHSC, tumours
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