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- Posted Thursday July 16, 2009
Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg gears up TGen biospecimen collection for international scientific research
A partnership between Luxembourg and the Translational Genomics
Research Institute (TGen) begins in earnest today (July 6, 2009)
with the arrival of a new CEO and the advent of a new building for
the Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg (IBBL).
The IBBL is seen as an international collection, repository,
analysis and distribution point for blood, serum, saliva, tumors
and other biospecimen samples to assist investigators worldwide in
scientific research.
"I think it's fantastic. This project helps Luxembourg with their
long-term goals, while providing Arizona with significant
investments. At the same time, it holds the promise of furthering
scientific investigations on a global basis," said Dr. Jeffrey
Trent, President and Research Director. "We've already made a lot
of progress."
The IBBL is part of a 140-million-euro effort (more than $190
million) over five years to help turn Luxembourg develop into one
of Europe's foremost biomedical centers - one uniquely focused on
diagnostic biomarkers. The effort is wide-ranging and dynamic in
its goals of improving patient care while lowering healthcare
costs.
The project already has expanded in scope since it was announced
last year. For example, while initial plans focused on collecting
tissues for cancer research, the IBBL is studying an international
project involving the collection of biospecimens across Europe and
Africa in an investigation of cardio-vascular disease.
And, the information technology needed to process tissue samples
has resulted in new computer software developed jointly by TGen and
Luxembourg investigators at the Institute Henri Tudor that could
have commercial uses, said Tess Burleson, TGen's Chief Operating
Officer.
TGen Chief Information Officer Dr. Ed Suh said that the new
technology has drawn interest from several non-profit and
for-profit institutions, including Dell, the computer maker headed
by Michael Dell, who visited TGen in December.
Also showing interest in the TGen-Luxembourg partnership are
several potential start-up biomedical sciences firms in
Arizona.
In March, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. and chairman of TGen
Foundation's National Advisory Council, made a working visit to
Luxembourg to discuss global topics of mutual interest to Arizona
and Luxembourg, as well as to receive first-hand briefings about
TGen's biomedical projects.
In April, Jeannot Krecké, Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy and
Foreign Trade, visited Arizona for discussions with TGen. While
here, the minister made contacts with other businesses, such as
First Solar, a Tempe-based solar energy company.
"When searching for a partner to help us establish what we hope
will be Europe's premier biotech infrastructure in Luxembourg, we
sought out TGen because it is a world-class model of how
high-quality science programs can be created in a relatively short
period of time," Minister Krecké said.
Also in April, ground was broken for the IBBL's new building, on
the campus of Luxembourg's Public Research Centre for Health
(Centre de Recherche Public Santé, or CPR-Santé). The new facility
is set for completion in October.
Dr. Jean-Claude Schmit, chairman of the Board of IBBL and CEO of
CRP-Santé recalled the ambitions of the IBBL in the field of
biomedical research. He underscored the crucial and innovative role
the biobank will play.
"The IBBL will allow us to have state-of-the-art samples for
research. It is opening our country to international research. For
TGen, it's an opportunity to access the European research market,"
said Schmit, who also is chairman of the seven-member governing
board of the IBBL.
Heading the IBBL will be Dr. Robert Hewitt, who starts today (July
6, 2009) as Chief Executive Officer. Over the next several months,
Dr. Hewitt will hire a staff of nearly 70.
"This is a really exciting and promising partnership. Thanks to
generous government funding, careful planning and expert guidance
from partners at TGen, we have all the right ingredients to develop
a world-class biobank, biorefinery and advanced technology center
in Luxembourg. This unique infrastructure will support
collaborative research at the forefront of developments in
personalized medicine," Dr. Hewitt said.
Most recently, Dr. Hewitt was Director of the Tissue Repository
& Hospital-based Cancer Registry at the National University
Hospital in Singapore. Hewitt also developed biobanks in England
and Saudi Arabia. He is the recent former president of the
International Society for Biological and Environmental
Repositories, an association that aims to promote best practices in
the management of biobanks, which store such items as clinical
samples for research, microbial cultures, biodiversity samples and
even museum collections.
Meantime, TGen and Luxembourg officials are working on a program
that would enable Luxembourg's first doctorate-level students to
study in the U.S. at TGen. And, hospital nurses from Luxembourg
visited Phoenix-area hospitals in recent weeks to learn new
techniques and procedures for ensuring storage of the highest
quantity and quality of biomedical research specimens. Luxembourg
pathologists begin arriving today at TGen.
Key researchers from Luxembourg will visit TGen this week as part
of an effort to ramp up the scientific understanding among
officials at TGen, the IBBL, the University of Luxembourg and the
Grand Duchy's three Public Research Centers.
Creation of the Luxembourg Program in Personalized Medicine
includes three major projects:
-- Creation of the IBBL in partnership with TGen.
-- The Arizona-based Partnership for Personalized Medicine,
Directed by 2001 Nobel laureate Lee Hartwell, which consists of
TGen, Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute and Seattle's
Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center. The PPM is working on the
Luxembourg Project Lung Cancer, which is centered at the IBBL and
CPR-Santé.
-- The Center for Systems Biology Luxembourg, intended to track the
genetic basis of disease and develop protein-based tests. This is a
partnership between the University of Luxembourg and the
Seattle-based Institute for Systems Biology, headed by Dr. Leroy
Hood, founder of Amgen Inc.
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About the Integrated BioBank of Luxembourg (IBBL)
The Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg - co-founded by the nation's
three Public Research Centers: Santé, Tudor and Lippmann; and by
the University of Luxembourg - holds the promise of becoming the
premier European hub for advanced biobanking, biotechnology and
biomedical informatics. While most European and U.S. biobanks focus
on collection and distribution of specimens, the IBBL will
implement uniform standards for collection, storage and
distribution of a full range of tissue samples, including blood,
serum and tumor tissues. This next-generation biobank will provide
molecular-based characterizations of biospecimens linked to
clinical studies. The project will leverage expertise in biology,
pathology, informatics and information technology infrastructure,
laboratory operations, transportation, legal matters and ethics.
The IBBL will serve as a centralized resource for sharing and
comparing research results through a robust, scalable and secure
bioinformatics system that supports the collection, processing,
storage, annotation and distribution of biospecimens and
data.
Media Contact:
Mrs. Marie-Paule Hoffmann
Tel. +352 274464-30
E-mail: [email protected]
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About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated
with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
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