We routinely bank research samples from gynaecological and breast cancer patients and also support sample collection for early phase clinical trials.

Research samples are banked under specific sub-collections registered under Imperial College Healthcare Tissue Bank HTA license or under specific project REC/HRA approval. 

We can help collect a range of samples including surgical tissue, biopsy, whole blood, plasma, serum, urine, PBMCs and ascetic/cystic/pleural fluids.

All projects undertaken must be approved by first Cancer Working Group

Contacts at Hammersmith campus

Nona Rama and Cristina Realingo: ecmcbiobank@imperial.ac.uk or 07714051439 or x28661/32349

Contacts at Charing Cross campus

Sanela Andrijac, Jessica Lin, Charlotte Ion & Molly Gray: 0203 311 5314 Bleep 5055   

ECMC provides biostatistical support  (e.g. sample size and power calculation, advice on the study design and statistical analysis plan) for early Phase I/II clinical trials or biomarker evaluation and target identification studies using clinical trial samples.  Please note that ECMC remit does not include pre-clinical work in animals or cell lines and biostatistical support is for grant application purpose only.  Further statistical support required for the running of the study should be budgeted within the grant application itself.

To request for biostatistical support, please complete the "Application Form to Access Biostatistical Support“ and email the accomplished form to the CRUK Core Resource Manager: Naina Patel at naina.patel@imperial.ac.uk.

Applications can be submitted at any time and will be reviewed for approval at the next monthly Cancer Working Group meeting.  Approved applications will be scheduled for a consultation with ECMC's statistician, Dr Jingky Lozano-Kuehne. Please note that ECMC’s biostatistical support is not a walk-in or a telephone service and consultations for approved applications can take 1-2 weeks to arrange.  A copy of the study protocol as well as relevant references, if available, will be useful during the consultation.

ECMC’s biostatistical support should be acknowledged in study publications. Co-authorship of study publications is appropriate if a statistician has made an intellectual and scientific contribution to the project.  If a statistician is a co-author, please ensure that the statistician has approved the manuscript prior to submission for publication.

The BRC Circulating Biomarker Laboratory is located within the ECMC laboratory and can analyse isolate and analyse single circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and cell-free circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) from patient samples.

The laboratory is equipped with  Cell Search; DEPArray NxT and has access to RainDrop Digital PCR system and Ion Chef/Ion S5 platforms

Contact Dr Grorgios Nteliopoulos georgios.nteliopoulos04@imperial.ac.uk

We can help with DNA Methylation analysis of specific genes using Bisulfite Pyrosequencing, sample preparation for genome wide methylation profiling using Infinium Array and RQ-RTPCR of key genes. Our laboratory have established assays of over 100 genes.

• Assay design  
• Bisulfite conversion
• DNA Methylation analyses
• Global DNA methylation analyses

Contact

Nahal Masrour, n.masrour@imperial.ac.uk or 020 3313 2349

Our histology laboratory can provide range of histology services for early clinical studies with exploratory endpoints.

• Sectioning of FFPE blocks
• Haematoxylin and Eosin staining (H&E)
• Antibody optimisation
• Immunohistochemistry service
• Tissue microarray construction

Contact

Reema Paudel, reema.paudel@imperial.ac.uk or 020 3313 2349

Currently, the ECMC metabolomics team can support the following analysis:

‒ Biocrates AbsoluteIDQ p180 Kit. Analysis of a panel of ~180 molecules in serum/plasma

Contact Dr. Alexandros Siskos, a.siskos@imperial.ac.uk  or Professor Hector Keun, h.keun@imperial.ac.uk