This international workshop was intended to advance cancer research by raising awareness about the importance of developing and implementing common standards for biorepositories in the U.S. and China.  Dr. Carolyn Compton, Head of Office of Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research (OBBR), emphasized the need to initiate a process to identify and agree upon standards that can be implemented in both countries, and the importance of taking that first step toward global collaboration in the field.

National Cancer Institute (NCI) has long recognized the need to standardize and optimize biospecimen and data collections for cancer research and has made a significant effort to establish evidence-based best practices in the field. This initiative culminated in the "NCI Best Practices for Biospecimen Resources" (NCI Best Practices). The NCI Best Practices were originally published in 2007 and an updated version is to be released soon.

In 2004, NFCR and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital (TMUCIH) established a Joint Tissue Bank (JTB) to collect and store fresh frozen tumor tissue and blood samples for use in cutting-edge cancer research. By 2007, the JTB had evolved into a larger project - serving as a research collaboration platform in China -- the Tissue Bank Consortium in Asia (TBCA). TBCA is a member-based collaboration among biorepositories in Asia and biopharmaceutical companies, along with governmental and research organizations, that promotes biospecimen-based cancer research collaboration.  The Consortium encourages the adoption of common standards for biobank operations, including quality control procedures related to biospecimen collection and storage, annotation and recording of associated clinical data, data sharing, and all other relevant processes, among the participating members. Today, TBCA is becoming a China-focused biorepository network in Asia that operates according to international standards.

This Joint Workshop reflected NCI's and NFCR's shared commitment to the dissemination and exchange of scientific knowledge about standards for biorepositories nationally and internationally. Through formal presentations and discussion among Workshop participants, the conference underscored the importance and the potential of expanded research collaboration involving scientists from China and the United States, and emphasized the role that access to high quality biospecimens plays in contemporary molecular-based cancer research.

Among the major Workshop presentations were:

The Role of Biospecimens in Translational Research and Molecularly Informed Medicine

Carolyn Compton, M.D., Ph.D., Director, OBBR, National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Building a High Quality Biorepository at Tianjin Cancer Institute and Hospital - Part of a National Platform-Building Program Funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China

Xishan Hao, M.D., President, Tianjin Medical University and Tianjin Cancer Institute and Hospital

Navigating Towards Successful International Collaborations with the Biospecimens from China, a Case Study

Wei Zhang, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Cancer Genomics Core Laboratory, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

The Legal and Regulatory Issues on Biospecimen Use in China

Guoping Zhao, Ph.D., Professor and Director, National Engineering Center for BioChips, Shanghai

Developing a Standardized and Well-annotated Human Liver Cancer Biorepository: The National Liver Cancer Tissue Bank Project of China

Weiping Zhou, M.D., Director, The 3^rd Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai

Implementation of Robust Information Systems for Management of Biospecimens and Ensuring their Interoperability with Clinical and Research Data Systems

Ian Fore, D.Phil., Director, Biorepository and Pathology Informatics, Center for Bioinformatics and Information Technology, NCI

Identifying Specimens across Systems and Use of Standard Terminologies for Specimen Data

Lei Liu, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Shanghai Center for Bioinformation Technology

The Need for Clear Standard Operating Procedures: How Pre & Post-Acquisition Variables Affect Sample Quality and Integrity

Carolyn Compton, M.D., Ph.D., Director, OBBR, National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Business of Biobanking: Economics and Sustainability - Planning, Legacy Organizational Structure, Cost Recovery

Chon Boon Eng, Ph.D., Head of Tissue Repository and Hospital Based Cancer Registry, National University of Singapore-National University Hospital

Asian Network of Pediatric Oncology: Structure, Operational Model and Sustainability Akira Nakagawara, M.D., Ph.D. President, Chiba Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan

Other speakers included: Webster Cavenee, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, San Diego and Chair, Tissue Bank Consortium in Asia; Sujuan Ba, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer, NFCR and Co-Chair, Tissue Bank Consortium in Asia, and Franklin C Salisbury, President of NFCR.

For more information about the workshop, please visit www.nfcr.org/jointworkshop.

To learn more about the Tissue Bank Consortium in Asia, visit www.nfcr.org/tissuebank.