Sample Overview
The Leukemia Tissue Bank at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) provides support to researchers that are actively studying diseases of the bone marrow, lymph nodes and other tissues.
Our samples are accessible to researchers within University Health Network (UHN), and to external research partners at academic and private sectors around the world for research related to blood malignancies and other disorders. We are a non-profit biobank, and researchers are charged cost-recovery fees to cover for costs related to administration, preparation and distribution of material.
The Leukemia Tissue Bank inventory of samples from hematology malignancies includes:
- Viable Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs)
- Viable Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells (BMMCs)
- Mobilized Stem Cells
- Plasma
- Serum
- Patient Sample Derived Cell-lines
The time points of sample collections are: diagnosis, during remission, and at relapse.
In addition to providing the diagnosis, samples can be annotated with other clinical and molecular data such as age, sex, prior malignancy, cell surface markers, cytogenetics, targeted mutation panels, treatment and response to treatment, duration of remission and survival.
We can also prospectively procure and process samples to meet user specific research needs. Please contact us at
LeukemiaBank@uhn.ca with an enquiry or request for inventory list.
The Princess Margaret (PM) Leukemia Biobank provides a rich resource of annotated clinical samples across the spectrum of bone marrow disease and across time. These have been used by investigators locally and abroad to make discoveries relating to leukemia stem cell biology, disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. As well, a series of OCI cell lines have been created, representing different forms of AML, lymphoma and myeloma.
Mark D. Minden, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Co-Director of the PM Leukemia Tissue Bank; Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network; Staff Physician, Leukemia Program, Department of Medical Oncology & Hematology
Sample Request
Samples requests must include the following:
- Name of researcher and institution
- Brief description of research plan, including:
- Methodology of research (Will whole genome sequencing be done?)
- Definition of requested material
- Valid ethics approval
- Funding information (grant or industry sponsored research)
- Plan for publication
When transferring material outside the University Health Network (UHN), researchers are asked to sign a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA).
