On January 25th, the bylaws of the National Brain Metastasis Network (or RENACER, its acronym in Spanish) were signed and the network’s first meeting was held. To date, 11 Spanish hospitals have joined the network to create a collection of human samples to further research into brain metastases. The objective of RENACER is to carry out basic and clinical studies that help to advance the development of therapies for these metastases
With prior consent from the patients, surgeons will collect tissue samples during surgical interventions; after being confirmed as a surplus of clinical samples by pathologists, they will be sent to the CNIO biobank, where they will be processed and stored to be made available to the Network and the entire research community.
The Network will adhere to the highest bioethical and quality standards to ensure the proper use of the samples. Furthermore, it will ensure that patients have a say in it – a novel ‘patient and public involvement’ practice that is beginning to be adopted by European centers and biobanks.
Click here to read more.