The Bordet Institute's tumour bank opens its doors to patients associations

Press release (01/12/2022) 

The Jules Bordet Institute's tumour bank opens its doors to patients associations

Brussels, 1 December 2022 – This Thursday 1 December, patients associations are invited to visit the tumour biobank of the Jules Bordet Institute, a part of the Brussels University Hospital (H.U.B.). At the initiative of the BBRMI (Biobanking and biomolecular resources research infrastructure of Belgium) and of the LUSS (League of health users), this meeting will serve to highlight the way biobanks are perceived by patients and citizens. We look at the essential role of biobanks in research and the importance of cooperation between care institutions, biobank networks and patients associations.

Biobanks, a key issue for researchers and citizens
Generally speaking, biobanks make it possible to collect, store and make available biological samples for the purposes of scientific research. At the Jules Bordet Institute, the tumour biobank is a collection of tumour tissue and blood samples that are stored for future use in research. The role of biobanks is not limited to collecting tissue residue but also involves adapting the tissue storage conditions to the technique used, varying the material so as to better characterise the disease and completing annotation with all the pertinent information needed for research. Biobanks are the essential link between diagnosis and fundamental, translational or clinical research.

A visit to the biobank to increase patient awareness of their role
At the initiative of the BBMRI (Biobanking and biomolecular resources research infrastructure of Belgium) and in cooperation with the LUSS (Health users league), a day for reflection and exchanges between researchers, biobank managers and patients is being held at the Jules Bordet Institute. There will also be a chance to visit the Anatomical Pathology Department so that patients can better understand the various stages through which samples pass before storage in the biobank. Ligia Craciun, manager of the Bordet biobank: "We live in an age when genomics, proteomics and a high level of technology enable us to study this excess tissue and to understand the mechanisms of the disease at molecular level. This is why tumour biobanks play a very important role in research. Increasing patient awareness of biobanks is therefore essential to research progress."

Cooperation between patients and researchers, a pillar of the H.U.B.
This day at the Jules Bordet Institute reflects the H.U.B.'s desire to involve patients in the continuous improvement of its activities and of research in particular. These meetings between patients associations and research organisations are essential to progress in practices and in making citizens aware of the importance of their contribution to medical discoveries. Miqueu, co-chair of the Stakeholder Involvement working group of the BBMRI and coordinator of the Promotion of Research and Patient Partnership at the Jules Bordet Institute, part of the Brussels University Hospital (H.U.B.): "Today one can no longer envisage a research project without involving patients. At the Jules Bordet Institute and since 2018, patients and the associations that represent them are consulted to give their opinion on our research projects, in particular the PISARO group (Institute patients who support and improve cancer research). This day we are organising with the LUSS and the BBMRI is the occasion to share with patients and their representatives the essential role of biobanks and to reflect together on how best to communicate with citizens."

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About the Jules Bordet Institute
An integrated multidisciplinary centre, the only one of its kind in Belgium, the Jules Bordet Institute is an autonomous hospital dedicated exclusively to cancerous diseases.
During the past 80 years the Jules Bordet Institute has been offering its patients diagnostic and treatment strategies at the leading edge of progress to prevent, detect and actively fight cancer. The Institute pursues three missions: care, research and teaching. The Institute's international reputation attracts leading experts in the field of cancer. Its spirit of innovation has enabled it to participate in the development and discovery of new methods of diagnosis and major treatment innovations, with the aim of translating the results into improved patient care as rapidly as possible.
In May 2028, the Jules Border Institute was officially awarded, for the second time, OECI (Organisation of European Cancer Institutes) accreditation as a "Comprehensive Cancer Center", a quality label reserved for multidisciplinary cancer care institutions that combine research and training. The Jules Bordet Institute is the only Comprehensive Cancer Centre with OECI accreditation in Belgium.
On 28 November 2021, the Jules Bordet Institute opened its new building on the ULB university campus in Anderlecht with 80,000 m² fully dedicated to leading edge cancer care, research and training, as well as a patient well-being centre. It offers 250 hospitalisation beds and 43 day hospitalisation beds.
The Jules Bordet Institute is also part of the H.U.B., the University Hospital of Brussels, which includes the Erasmus Hospital, the Jules Bordet Institute and the Queen Fabiola Children's Hospital. Thanks to new investments, this internationally renowned university hospital group is able to guarantee high quality care accessible to all combined with excellence in research and training.
www.bordet.be

About the H.U.B
The Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B) is the academic hospital of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), which unites the Jules Bordet institute, the Erasme Hospital and the Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital (HUDERF) since 2021.
As an international reference center, located in the heart of the Brussels Region, the H.U.B offers high quality general, oncological and pediatric care.
This excellent care, accessible to all, is enriched and sustained by a dual approach of scientific research and teaching for the caregivers of tomorrow.
In 2022, the H.U.B. is composed of more than 6,000 employees who share the following values: Interest of the patient, Team spirit, Commitment, Solidarity, Diversity and Inclusion, and the principle of Free enquiry.
www.hubruxelles.be