Biobank of clinical samples

Patients participating in the CF and BE clinical trials were asked to provide consent for long term storage of their sputum (for possible future biomarker or metabolomics research) and blood (for DNA extraction, BE patients only). Samples will be stored at UNIVDUN (BE samples) and QUB (CF samples) in established biobank facilities (UNIVDUN and N. Ireland Biobank). Samples will be linked to registry data and anonymised samples and data made available to the scientific community at large with approval of the appropriate research ethics committees. DNA is being stored because there have been no large genetic studies of adult bronchiectasis and therefore these studies offer the possibility to perform important research into the genetic determinants of Pa colonisation in bronchiectasis.

Additional funding will be sought to ensure the sustainability of these biobanks beyond the life of the current project.

Contact for Biobank access:

UNIVDUN – Professor James Chalmers j.chalmers@dundee.ac.uk

QUB – Professor Michael Tunney m.tunney@qub.ac.uk

           Dr Laura Sherrard l.sherrard@qub.ac.uk