ORCYD BIOBANK
Dr. Jabado's lab hosts a biobank called ORCYD (Oncology Repository for Children and Young aDults). The objective of the biobank is the preservation and conservation of biological material and clinical information from pediatric and young adult patients who suffer from a vast array of cancers in order to enable cutting-edge research projects that lead to breakthrough discoveries.
​
ORCYD will allow present and future scientific research to be conducted in the field of cancer that will advance our understanding of these devastating diseases, provide better diagnostic tests to screen for and monitor a specific disease and ultimately offer better therapeutic options for some patients. ORCYD will also empower patients and their families by allowing them to participate indirectly in research aimed at advancing our understanding of their cancers and give them a sense of community with future families with a similar predicament.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Biobank Director/Principal Investigator:
Dr. Nada Jabado, MD, PhD
​
Biobank Manager:
Dr. Emily Nakada, PhD
​
Target populations:
-
Children and young adults with a confirmed or suspected diagnosis from among a wide array of cancers. These include but are not limited to brain tumours, hematologic disorders such as leukemia and lymphoma, cartilage and bone cancers, various soft tissue sarcomas, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, neuroblastoma, germ cell tumour, as well as diseases of the central nervous system other than cancer.
-
Children and young adults participating in research that is at least partly under the auspices of the RI-MUHC.
-
Parents and siblings of children recruited to the biobank can also be recruited as “control” cases or for familial screening on a case-by-case basis.
Types of samples banked:
Blood products (serum, plasma, red and white blood cells), tissue (fresh, fixed or frozen), cystic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, bone marrow aspirate, urine, stool, saliva and other.
​
Clinical annotation:
Samples are annotated with initial diagnostic and clinical information. For samples that are obtained from patients associated with a particular research study, molecular results are updated as they become available.
Longitudinal:
Samples may also be collected from the same participant over time to monitor disease progress, response to therapy and other variables.
Number of participants:
The number of participants has been steadily increasing since the biobank commenced operation. Any participant may withdraw from the ORCYD biobank at any time by verbal or written request to the director or manager of the ORCYD biobank.
Start date:
The Biobank began operating in April 2017.
Funding source:
The ORCYD Biobank is funded by the RI-MUHC through grants held by the Biobank Director and by a longstanding commitment of the Montreal Children’s Foundation to research conducted in Dr. Jabado’s lab.
