Medical update
The UK Blood Cancer Biobank: donated samples are shaping research
A national collection of blood and tissue samples is helping researchers understand why blood cancers behave differently and how diagnosis and treatment might be improved.
We want everyone affected by lymphoma to benefit from more effective diagnosis and better treatments. Research is essential to making this happen, but researchers need access to biological samples to understand the fundamentals of blood cancer biology.
This is why we support the UK Blood Cancer Biobank (UKBCB), hosted by the University of Liverpool. The UKBCB brings together samples donated by people with blood cancer who take part in clinical trials and observational studies across the UK, giving researchers access to clinical samples that could support developments in blood cancer treatment.
The UKBCB brings four established collections together under one central hub. These cover chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), mantle cell lymphoma, T-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. Donated material varies but may include tissue from a biopsy, bone marrow, blood or saliva. Samples can also be linked with relevant clinical information, such as the person’s diagnosis, treatment, response and side effects.
Linking samples with this information allows researchers to compare what is happening in cancer cells with what happened during treatment. This can help them investigate why the same type of blood cancer behaves differently from one person to another, why a treatment might work well for some people but not others, and how cancer cells change or become resistant over time.
Research on biobank samples could identify features or processes in cancer cells that might inform the design of new treatments and tests. In the future, this could improve understanding of how a person’s disease might behave or whether a treatment is likely to work, helping research move towards more effective, personalised treatment and care.
The UKBCB has supported blood cancer research since 2012 and has contributed to more than 40 scientific publications. Scientists have been able to map the genetic landscape of CLL, explore drug resistance and identify biological features linked with different treatment outcomes.
How Lymphoma Action supports the UKBCB
Research should not only be guided by clinicians and scientists, but also by people affected by blood cancer. We help ensure the patient voice is represented in decisions about how the biobank is run and how donated samples are used.
We nominated our volunteer Neil Stewart to join the UKBCB oversight group as a patient representative. Neil helps connect the biobank with the patient community, bringing lived experience and patient insight into its decision-making. His involvement helps ensure that the perspectives of people affected by lymphoma are considered as the biobank develops and researchers apply to use its samples.
“ I have enjoyed my involvement with the UKBCB team, and I remain convinced of the value of their work. I would like to do whatever I can to continue support, in the interests of future lymphoma patients.
Neil Stewart, Patient Representative
By bringing the patient voice into research, we are helping to ensure future research considers the questions and challenges that matter to people affected by lymphoma. This can help deliver better diagnosis, treatment and care for people affected by lymphoma in the future.
Visit Lymphoma TrialsLink, our clinical trials information service, to learn more about clinical trials for lymphoma.
