Biorepository FAQ’s

Q) Does RGCIRC Biorepository have ethics committee approval to collect and store biospecimens?
A) Yes. All the processes relating to patient privacy, consenting and anonymization of clinical data are approved by the institutional ethics committee.

Q) What are the QC measures followed at RGCIRC Biorepository?
A) RGCIRC Biorepository follows CAP guidelines for histopathological assessment of tumors specimens. The Biorepository also follows best practices by ISBER (International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories), Canadian tumor repository network and NCI (National Cancer Institute) for tissue procurement and Cryo preservation protocols.

Q) What is the standard protocol for tissue, blood collection and processing?
A) Standard protocol for tumor tissue is sequential freezing of tumor collected within 30 to 60 minutes of surgical resection and stored in vapor phase of liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196^oC. Fat and necrotic areas are avoided.
Protocol for EDTA blood and its derivatives involves collecting blood into 10ml EDTA vial and processing within 4 hours into plasma and buffy coat fractions and stored in vapor phase of liquid nitrogen at -196^oC.

Q) What is the biosample release process?
A) The process involves:
1.Submitting an online sample request form .
2.Additional documents like study synopsis and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval letter to be attached with     the request form.
3.The application is then reviewed by Tissue Release Board (TRB) .
4.Sample access fees as per the established cost list.
5.Researcher informed regarding access fee and approval by TRB.
6.Researcher coordinates for the shipment date.
7.The cost of shipping/ courier charges to be borne by the buyer.
8.Shipment made ready along with clinical data set.

Q) What is the total process time from TRB approval to sample shipment?
A) Based on the study requirement, the turn around time can range from 15 days to 1 month. Isolation of nucleic acids and molecular characterization of biosamples will require additional time.

Q) Are the FFPE blocks Quality checked before disbursal?
A) Yes, all FFPEE blocks are checked for tumor content and percentage necrosis and reported by two on board pathologists who certify quality of the block.