science

PATH Biobank

PATH Biobank is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand PATH Biobank rather than just read about it. In short: PATH Biobank (Patients' Tumor Bank of Hope) is a German biobank for breast cancer, established in 2002 from patients for patients. PATH is an independent non-profit foundation with the purpose of supporting breast cancer research with high quality tumor tissue.

Key takeaways

PATH Biobank belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PATH Biobank to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PATH Biobank from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PATH Biobank (Patients' Tumor Bank of Hope) is a German biobank for breast cancer, established in 2002 from patients for patients. PATH is an independent non-profit foundation with the purpose of supporting breast cancer research with high quality tumor tissue. In order to achieve this goal, PATH operates sample storage tanks with liquid nitrogen at seven German breast centers. Tumor tissue and blood serum from breast cancer patients are stored in these tanks. More than 7200 women have consented to the storage of their tissue since 2004 (as of January 2014). A centralized database complements the biobank with important patient information. PATH is a joint venture of clinicians, scientists and patients. Via sample collection for cancer research, these partners aim to close the gap between basic science and fast implementation in the clinical practice.

Concept

Making sample collection more efficient Establishing the infrastructure for sampling high quality tissue for basic and clinical research is time consuming and hence often impossible. The property situation of the tumor tissue is often not clearly regulated, which further complicates the establishment of a tissue collection. This situation was pointed out by Prof. Dr. Axel Ullrich one of the inventors of Trastuzumab and members of the scientific advisory board of PATH. Gathering follow-up data from patients is often impossible for a scientist. PATH solves these problems via centralized storage of the samples, transparent allocation criteria and routine follow-up surveys.

Strategy In one of the cooperating clinical centers, the breast cancer patient is informed about the option to store her tissue a blood serum at PATH. In the case of her informed consent, the tumor will be split into equal parts (aliquots) immediately after the surgery and routine diagnostic. One part is stored exclusively for the patient, the other samples are donated to PATH Biobank for research purposes. The samples are processed according to strict quality standards (cGCP) in all cooperating clinics and stored in the gas phase of liquid nitrogen (about -160 °C).

Standardized and uniform sample processing The processing, labelling and storage of the tumor and normal tissue and the blood serum aliquots is performed according to standard operation procedures (SOPs), which have been developed specially for PATH. The size of the tissue samples and maximal ischemia times, as well as clotting times for the blood samples, are regulated by the SOPs and documented.

Structure The honorary board of the PATH Biobank consists of three individuals, according to the statute two of which need to have had breast cancer. In addition to the representation, e.g. at conferences and towards scientific partners, the board guides the activities and direction. The day-to-day business is organized by the PATH-office in Munich. The staff encompasses two permanent employees, which are supported by working students.

Documentation of patient data The PATH database encompasses a large amount of important information, which is crucial for using the samples for research. The database solution is located on a stand-alone-computer without internet access, in order to protect the data from unauthorized access. In addition to this, personal data are stored physically separated from further data. Under no circumstances are these personal data given to third parties. The database includes information about e.g. the number of samples, ischemia/clotting times of the samples before freezing, age and gender of the patient, potential pre-existing medical conditions, type and date of diagnosis, menopausal state, staging/grading, histopathology, receptor state (HER2/neu, ER- and PR-state), recommended therapies and already performed (neoadjuvant) therapies, survival state, events (locoregional relapse, distant metastases, therapy course).

Cooperating clinics (as of January 2014) Bonn: Evangelische Kliniken Bonn gGmbH, Johanniter-Krankenhaus; Universitäts-Frauenklinik Bonn Dortmund: St. Johannes-Hospital Dortmund, Brustzentrum Bochum/Herne: Universitäts-Frauenklinik Marienhospital Herne, Kooperatives Brustzentrum Bochum/Herne; St. Annahospital, Kooperatives Brustzentrum Bochum/Herne Kassel: Klinikum Kassel GmbH, IBZ- Interdisziplinäres Brustzentrum Marburg: Klinik für Gynäkologie, gynäkologische Endokrinologie und Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Marburg, Brustzentrum Regio Offenbach: Klinik für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, Klinikum Offenbach GmbH Regensburg: Klinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe der Universität Regensburg am Caritas-Krankenhaus St. Josef

Sample allocation Scientists from academic groups and from industry can apply for sample allocation.

National and international biobank initiatives In order to make biobanks more visible in Germany, the German biobank register was established, which is operated by the TMF – Technologie- und Methodenplattform für die vernetzte medizinische Forschung and supported by the German Ministry for Education and Research, the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. PATH Biobank is registered in the biobank register. The importance of biobanks such as PATH Biobank is also stressed by the initiative "Nationale Biobanken Initiative", which is supported with 18 Mio. Euro by the German Ministry for Education and Research.

References

External links Official website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PATH Biobank

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PATH Biobank claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PATH Biobank before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PATH Biobank ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PATH Biobank

In research: PATH Biobank appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PATH Biobank in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PATH Biobank is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2002 establishments in Germany, Biobanks, Cancer organisations based in Germany, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PATH Biobank outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study PATH Biobank in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PATH Biobank means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PATH Biobank out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PATH Biobank in simple terms?

Why does PATH Biobank matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PATH Biobank?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PATH Biobank.