TISSUE REPOSITORY
This project revolves around a growing tissue repository which has corresponding pathology reports and NHS primary health care data for each tissue sample. This resource already holds extremely useful information, but the ability to fully integrate the stored data, together with the addition of detailed molecular data, will make this a unique and highly valuable research tool. In the first instance, data management strategies and solutions are being developed, for effective correlations between the tissue data, pathology data, and primary health care data. The overall, long-term aim is to generate molecular data from the banked tissue, and integrate that information with the clinical records. This integrated data will then be analysed with bioinformatics tools, to generate new insights into mechanisms of disease and treatment, as well as to generate biomarkers.
Role of Scottish Bioinformatics Forum
The SBF identified and brought together the key players in the collaboration, including renowned cancer specialists from major Scottish centres. Existing molecular data for cancer has been made available to create a proof of concept integrated knowledge discovery solution. The SBF is also financing the creation of the necessary informatics infrastructure by the National e-Science Centre. The infrastructure will establish a cancer research portal as proof of concept for the overall project. This work includes:
• establishment of a secure portal for integrated data mining;• population of the portal with security focused services supporting access to and linkage of a range of molecular laboratory data in various resources;
• development of targeted microarray data services supporting seamless access to a range of existing expression data sets;
• incorporation and linkage of tissue bank data;
• linkage of these services (and hence the data resources) in a user driven framework cognisant of the importance and role of patient consent.
Outcome
The first deliverables are a portal with the services outlined above; publications in recognised international journals describing the work as a whole; and an outline roadmap for cancer research as an example of how this integrated information resource across Scotland can lead to new discoveries.
