Biobanks

UPORT uses the following protocols for patient inclusion that have been approved by the local Biobank Research Ethics Committee (TCBio).

UPORT Cancer Biobank

UPORT CANCER

The UPORT CANCER protocol (21-042) is used to generate patient-derived living biobanks of various types of cancer, including bladder cancer, pancreas cancer, thyroid cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, cervix cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer. While organoids are typically generated from the cancer cells themselves, the protocol also allows long-term (co-) culturing of non-cancer cells from the tumor microenvironment, including immune cells and stromal cells (e.g. endothelial cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts). In addition, the protocol allows organoid establishment from precursor lesions (e.g. adenomas), from lesions at high risk of developing cancer (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and from cancer-associated healthy tissue.

UPORT Non-Cancer Biobank

UPORT AIR

The UPORT AIR protocol (16-586) is used to generate living biobanks of airway organoids, airway epithelial stem cells, and stromal cells (e.g. fibroblasts) to support research for new diagnostic and therapeutic options for people with lung transplant rejection and (rare)lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF), primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), interstitial lung diseases (ILD), chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), and pulmonary infectious diseases.

UPORT GUT

The UPORT GUT protocol (19-831) is used to generate living biobanks of intestinal tissue and organoids for studying mechanisms of disease and for developing new diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions. Relevant diseases include CF, IBD, graft versus host disease, and other (rare) genetic and metabolic diseases.