OVC hires new Tumour Bank Coordinator

Deirdre Stuart, VT, BScH, MSc candidate joins the Ontario Veterinary College in the role of the Tumour Bank Coordinator. As a member of the Clinical Trials team, the Tumour Bank Coordinator supports cancer research and other clinical research investigating advanced disease and chronic illnesses. 

As a lifelong pet lover and veterinary technician of over 25 years, Deirdre returned to Guelph to complete her undergraduate and is currently completing her  Master of Science degree in Reproductive Biology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences.  

“A passion for knowledge has fueled my love of research, but I love the bonds that I have formed with my clients over the years.  As the Tumour Bank Coordinator, I can combine all of these together to provide our patients and their families with reassurance and a means to help many others with their contributions to the work of ICCI.”

The Ontario Veterinary College thanks Kaya Skowronski for her years of service in this role and wishes her the very best in her future academic pursuits.

About the Companion Animal Tumour Bank:

The University of Guelph Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation (ICCI) has developed a unique resource that provides access to clinical specimens from naturally occurring cancers to the scientific community: The Companion Animal Tumour Sample Bank (CATSB). This depository facilitates retrospective analysis of cancer cases for which outcome data is available, providing a powerful tool for identification of biomarkers for more reliable prognostic prediction, and obtaining insight into the underlying causes of cancer.  The CATSB aims to promote basic and translational cancer research in the University of Guelph and elsewhere, with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of companion animals with cancer.  

Specimens of tumours and adjacent normal tissue are stored at –80ºC or colder in the following formats: OCT embedded, flash-frozen, and in RNA later®.  Samples of blood (serum, plasma and buffy coat) and urine are also collected and stored at –80ºC.  Tumour samples are also formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded.  Diagnostic information and patient outcome are stored in a secure, advanced database, facilitating rapid retrieval of clinical details.

For inclusion in the CATSB, informed owner consent must be obtained, and banking of tumour samples must not interfere with the clinical histologic diagnosis for the patient.  Aliquots of samples are available to qualified investigators for retrospective studies. We currently have in excess of 18000 aliquots from over 1000 unique cases, and cell lines from approximately 40 different cases. More information on CATSB samples are available here.

Samples stored in ultracold environments maximizes the integrity of biological components (such as nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites).  Thus, samples from the CATSB are suitable for molecular analysis of nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites, and other circulating biomarkers.

As of January 2016, CATSB is registered in the Biobank Resource Centre, developed by University of British Columbia Office of Biobank Education and Research and the Canadian Tissue Repository Network.

The Companion Animal Tumour Bank as well as the staff that support it - the Tumour Bank Coordinator and the Clinical Trials Coordinator - are supported by donations made to OVC Pet Trust through The Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund.