Conception and Configuration of Biobank of CART Biospecimen Sets for Pediatrics Research

Abstract

Biospecimen sets usually consist of various biospecimens collected in continuous clinical stages, carefully designed in advance by experts with diverse backgrounds according to the potential research purposes of translational medicine. This article reviews the importance and configuration of collecting biospecimen sets from CART clinical trials. A well-designed biospecimen collection plan must be considered seriously before implementing a genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor T (CART) clinical trial. CART cells have been applied as the last line of defense for children with B-cell malignancies. Although some patients have experienced complete remission after receiving autologous and allogeneic CART cell infusions, challenges remain, particularly regarding the individual differences in curative efficacy. Further studies are needed based on a well-preserved biospecimen set, including an in-depth systematic review of the available data. It is essential and significant to preserve a small number of live CART cells after patients' infusion and collect other traditional forms of biospecimen, such as DNA and serum, from the cases at different stages of treatment, to establish a biobank of CART biospecimen set. This approach can be achieved through the top design of administrative management by integrating teams from both clinical practice and basic research, thus preventing the omission of important data and improper biospecimen preservation. Establishing a biobank of CART biospecimen set, which contains various types of biospecimen at different stages of treatment and the relevant clinical information, are valuable resources for the long-term follow-up study of prognosis and exploring the underlying mechanisms of individual differences of curative efficacy of CART clinical trials.