The biological collections associated with the CARPEM project are gathered both for research purposes and within the framework of patient care, with the possibility of reuse for research. The infrastructures hosting these biological collections are located within the Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Cochin Hospital, and Necker Hospital. They form the Federation of CRB/PRB (Biological Resource Centers/Biological Resource Platforms) within the University Medical Department of Molecular Biology, Genomic and Physiological Medicine at the AP-HP.Centre–Université de Paris Hospital Group.
Historically, in 2011, the OncoHEGP project, a tumor bank at HEGP, was launched. This project, dedicated to managing biological resources collected during standard care, aimed primarily to strengthen the biological resources available for research. A few years later, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Federation’s members and the involvement of three engineers recruited by CARPEM, the project was expanded to Cochin in 2015 (OncoCCH) and to Necker in 2017 (OncoNEM), eventually becoming the “OncoCentre” biological collection in 2020.
The OncoCentre collaborative project involves the three hospital sites of the Group: HEGP, Cochin, and Necker.
A single information note and consent form, “OncoCentre,” was established for the three AP-HP.Centre hospitals (Georges Pompidou, Necker, and Cochin) to inform patients about the possibility of collecting biological samples as part of their care.
This form complies with legal and ethical requirements and received a favorable opinion from the Ile-de-France II Committee for the Protection of Persons on 07/20/2020. The various studies associated with the OncoCentre consent form are available by clicking on the following link: https://carpem.fr/activites/les-plateformes/biobanques/projets-de-recherche-collection-oncocentre/.
Close collaborations have been established with healthcare services to increase patient contact opportunities and improve the quality of information provided. As a result, the number of collected consent forms has significantly increased in the tumor banks of Cochin and HEGP and continues to grow.
A virtual tumour bank:
CARPEM’s translational research platform on data integration is assisted by biobanks to set up a database of non-identifying clinical, biological and personal data and biological material: the virtual tumour bank. Thanks to the OncoCCH and OncoHEGP projects, thousands of healthcare samples are usable for research, within a defined framework and meeting the criteria of the ethics committee. As the quantity of samples available for research has increased dramatically, the virtual tumour bank will then allow any investigator to visualise the high quality biological material available for research projects. Queries on the presence of samples needed for research will eventually be automatically performed on the tumour banks of the three hospitals.
A public education campaign:
The patient plays a central role in the sample donation process and, consequently, in medical research. It is essential for patients to be aware of the major role they play in the storage of samples and data. Therefore, it is crucial that they understand the rules, limitations, and challenges surrounding this entire process. The free and informed consent agreement must be better supported for the benefit of the patient.
To this end, and in collaboration with graphic design schools, two 3D/2D animated films were created by CARPEM engineers. One of these films is already being shown in the waiting rooms of the oncology department at HEGP: “We Are All Actors in Cancer Research.”
This education campaign has already received two awards from the Ligue contre le Cancer – Comité de Paris and the Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris – Hôpitaux de France (MACSF Prize). These awards support CARPEM in developing engaging, innovative, and patient-friendly informational tools, including websites, brochures, and more.
The Federation of CRB/PRB of the AP-HP.Centre–Université Paris Cité Hospital Group
It is formed by the consolidation of infrastructures hosting biological collections located within the Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Cochin Hospital, and Necker Hospital. These structures operate as Functional Units within the University Medical Department of Molecular Biology, Genomic and Physiological Medicine at the AP-HP.Centre–Université Paris Cité Hospital Group.
Formed from the merger of two functional units in 2011—the Biological Resource Center and the Tumor Bank—the Biological Resource Platform of HEGP (PRB-HEGP) is jointly led by Professor Virginie Verkarre and Dr. Benoit Vedie. Since December 2023, it has been certified under the international standard EN ISO 20387 (previously certified under the NF S96-900 standard). These two functional units operate together under the same Quality Management System (QMS) with shared personnel:
•The Biological Resource Center manages liquid samples (primarily blood).
•The Tumor Bank preserves frozen pathological and normal tissue samples, mainly from head and neck, thoracic, gynecological, urological, digestive, and endocrine cancers.
PRB-HEGP Plays a Key Role in Sample Management:
•It organizes the collection, transportation, processing, protection, retrieval, and availability of biological samples.
•It records bio-clinical information related to the samples.
•It provides researchers with high-quality biological material, along with expertise in data and sample management.
•It supports investigators in project development by offering expertise in biological collection management, processing workflows, and regulatory and ethical documentation essential for study initiation.
All these facilities comply with legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements. Their activities are conducted in accordance with the terms and conditions outlined in their charters. A strategic committee and a scientific committee oversee adherence to their policies.
Established in March 2015, the Biological Resource Center (CRB) is located within Cochin Hospital and is led by Professor Béatrice Parfait. The CRB incorporated the hospital’s former cell bank, which was primarily focused on genetic diseases.
Since 2015, the CRB has expanded its activities and now hosts significant biological resource collections in various fields, including a major oncology collection. It has been certified under the international EN ISO 20387 standard for all its activities related to the reception, preparation, preservation, and provision of cells, biological fluids, and derived products since December 2022. Previously, it was certified under the NF S96-900 standard.
CRB Cancer/Tumor Bank
Founded in 2006, the Cochin Hospital Tumor Bank, directed by Professor Audrey Mansuet-Lupo, is dedicated to cancer research across a broad range of pathologies, including digestive, endocrine, gynecological, bone and soft tissue, urological, hematological, dermatological, and thoracic cancers. This facility specializes in the reception, preservation, processing, and provision of normal and tumor tissue samples (from biopsies or surgeries) and their derivatives (DNA and RNA). The tumor bank has been certified since 2013 under the NF S96-900 biobank standard.
Cell Bank (Cellulothèque)
Established in 2006 within the biological hematology department, the Cochin Hospital Cell Bank, led by Professor Michaela Fontenay, is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of samples collected during patient care and clinical research protocols, primarily in the field of myeloid hematologic disorders, with a special focus on myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia.
Affiliated with the molecular onco-hematology division of the laboratory (Professor Olivier Kosmider), the cell bank is structured to store and distribute nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) and frozen live cells obtained from bone marrow, blood, and biopsies collected for medical care, following the signing of the OncoCentre consent.
Since 2017, the cell bank has consolidated sample collections for the diagnosis and monitoring of myeloid hematologic disorders across the three hospital sites (Necker, HEGP, and Cochin).
The Necker Hospital biobank, included in the CARPEM project, is limited to adult hematological cancers, as pediatric tumors, developmental disorders, and non-neoplastic pathologies (such as inflammatory diseases) are outside the scope of CARPEM.
The Necker Biological Resource Platform (PRB), coordinated by Dr. M.A. Alyanakian, includes the tumor bank, which mainly consists of collections from the Biological Hematology Department (Pr. Elizabeth Macintyre), the Anatomy and Pathology Cytology Department (Pr. Jean-Christophe Fournet), and the Histo-Embryology & Cytogenetics Unit (Pr. Michel Vekemans).
In 2017, CARPEM recruited a biologist, enabling the PRB to conduct a retrospective analysis (2011-2016) on informed consent associated with samples from three hematological cancers (at Necker and HEGP) that are frequently the subject of translational research:
1. Mantle cell lymphoma
2. Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (HTLV1-related)
3. Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma
The analysis revealed that 100% of consent statuses were accessible, and 48% of consents were available for these three pathologies.