Providence Research’s recent report explores how biobanks fuel scientific and medical discoveries, highlighting HLI’s unique heart and lung biobanks as vital resources for research.
A single biospecimen, such as a heart tissue collected during surgery, has the ability to contribute to numerous research projects, leading to significant scientific and medical breakthroughs. Biobanking is the process of collecting biological samples along with clinical and demographic data, enabling researchers to study diseased tissues and disease development in greater detail.
A new Providence Research report, A Look Inside Providence Research Biobanks, explores the purpose of biobanks and their impacts on medical research and education. Among the biobanks featured in the report are the Bruce McManus Cardiovascular Biobank (BMCB) and the James Hogg Lung Biobank (JHLB)–western Canada’s largest heart and lung tissue biobanks–housed at the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (HLI). Drs. Gordon Francis, Stephanie Sellers, Zachary Laksman, and Tillie Hackett are featured as researchers who have benefited from HLI’s biobank resources.
James Hogg Lung Biobank (JHLB)
Established in 1977, and now directed by HLI’s Dr. Tillie Hackett, the JHLB is the longest-running lung biobank in Canada and contains more than 90,000 specimens from over 3000 patients. It has been a significant resource for lung research, contributing to over 800 published research projects since its founding.
A global leader in lung biobanking, the JHLB has set internationally adopted protocols for tissue preservation. Its methods allow specimens to be studied structurally and at the molecular level, driving advancements in lung disease research, including COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and asthma.
Bruce McManus Cardiovascular Biobank (BMCB)
Led by HLI’s Dr. Ying Wang, the BMCB holds more than 100,000 human cardiovascular biospecimens with detailed clinical data, including 544 explanted hearts from transplant patients, 14,000 heart valves, and 600 aorta specimens. Housed at St. Paul’s Hospital, the only hospital in British Columbia performing adult heart transplants, the BMCB has been a cornerstone of cardiovascular research and education since 1982.
“For almost the entire time that heart transplants have been performed at St. Paul’s, patients have been donating their removed hearts to our tissue bank. This is an incredibly precious and unique resource in the world.”
Dr. Gordon Francis, HLI principal investigator
Explore the Full Report
To learn more about the impact of biobanks in medical research, explore A Look Inside Providence Research Biobanks, and explore the Bruce McManus Cardiovascular Biobank and James Hogg Lung Biobank.