There has been a significant expansion of the RVC Cancer Biobank, thanks to a grant from the RVC's Animal Care Trust. Floryne Buishand, (Lecturer in Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery), Christopher Scudder (Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine) and Joe Fenn (Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery) discuss the value of the RVC Cancer Biobank.

The RVC Cancer Biobank aims to improve companion animal and human health, by providing a resource of high quality biospecimens for translational research that will result in cancer therapy advancements.

Studying these stored biological specimens enables researchers to unravel the complex genetic and molecular underpinnings of cancer. This knowledge not only enhances our understanding of the disease but also opens the way to innovative treatments and personalised care.

Without a comprehensive biobank, such breakthroughs would be considerably hampered, slowing down progress in the fight against cancer, which remains a formidable challenge for both veterinary and human medicine.

Making a lasting impact

Recent significant expansion of the RVC Cancer Biobank was enabled by a grant from the Animal Care Trust, the registered charity of the RVC. The biobank enables us to be at the forefront of this transformative field, offering a solution that revolutionises cancer research and treatment. With our state-of-the-art facilities and unwavering commitment to excellence, the RVC is poised to make a lasting impact on the future of cancer care.

We focus on the collection, storage, and preservation of paired residual cancer, blood and urine samples and associated clinical data of dogs and cats treated at RVC Small Animal Referrals. To safeguard sample integrity, our procedures strictly follow Standard Operating Protocols, guaranteeing that DNA, RNA, and protein quality are high, preserving the sample quality for decades.

By offering a standardised approach to biospecimen collection and archiving, our mission is to accelerate cancer research and drive the development of precision medicine. Through the power of linking cancer samples with comprehensive patient information, we can pave the way for more effective, targeted, and less toxic therapies.

Currently the RVC Cancer Biobank contains samples from a total of 69 different cancer types. Although we are collecting samples from all cancer types, we have a particular interest in the collection of endocrine cancers, as this is one of the focus areas of RVC researchers.

The Process

Surgical extirpation of overactive endocrine tissue is commonly recommended as a sole therapeutic treatment or part of a treatment plan. These tissues are used for routine histopathology to confirm diagnosis and aid disease staging. There is often a significant amount of residual tissue following these procedures, which could be used for research purposes rather than merely disposed of.

In addition, these patients often undergo several diagnostic and monitoring blood and urine samples, which would provide residual samples which could be stored. The RVC’s Clinical Investigation Centre has the laboratory expertise to handle and store the samples appropriately, allowing maximal use of any residual samples obtained. The Diagnostic Laboratories Service routinely undertakes post mortem investigations, allowing collection of samples on-site.

Aims of the RVC Cancer Biobank

Aim 1. To create a canine and feline endocrine cancer tissue archive / biobank. This would be used for various investigations performed by RVC research groups, students and invited colleagues. Over time, we strive to make samples from biobank available to industry partners and scientists at academic institutions around the world.

Aim 2. Investigate urine or blood biomarkers to improve ante-mortem diagnosis of endocrine disorders and improve diagnosis of affected patients.

Aim 3. Better describe feline and canine endocrine cancers, to include routine histopathology, immunohistochemistry and possibly also electron microscopy. The aim is to improve tumour classification, which may aid prediction of possible future disease recurrence and prognosis.

Aim 4. Investigate endocrine tumour receptor expression and the molecular pathways contributing to excessive hormone production and metastatic disease. These findings are essential for the development of medical treatments targeting endocrine tumours.

Other RVC Biobanks

The RVC established a Companion Animal Brain Bank (CABB) in 2019, with the objective of collecting and storing samples of brain tissue and other biological specimens for research and educational purposes. The CABB has successfully archived 43 brains (31 dogs, and 12 cats) alongside residual samples of blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The collection of companion animal brain tissue has benefits for future patients diagnosed with neurological disease, the attending clinicians, RVC researchers and the research community as a whole, which can access the bank.

The RVC’s Canine Pericardial Effusion Biobank was established in 2022, with the aim of enabling pioneering research aimed at developing new diagnostic tests to help dogs at the RVC and beyond. Since then a number of samples have been taken from dogs referred to the RVC and research is progressing. The Companion Animal Brain Bank and the Canine Pericardial Effusion Biobank were established with the support of funding from the RVC Animal Care Trust.

There is also a SUB biobank. Ureteral obstruction secondary to urolithiasis is a frequent cause of feline kidney injury and necessitates placement of a subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) to relieve the obstruction. Despite resolving the obstruction, a proportion of cats will be left with chronic kidney disease. The factors involved in kidney recovery after a sudden injury are currently poorly understood and it is challenging to identify patients who will go on to suffer from ongoing renal dysfunction. How and when to intervene to encourage complete renal recovery after injury is also unclear. The biobank stores residual samples of urine and blood from patients that have had a SUB placed. These samples will facilitate valuable studies investigating risk factors for development of obstructive ureteral stones, as well as factors involved in recovery from sudden kidney injury.