Exploring the James Hogg Lung Biobank's 46-year journey from tissue collection to groundbreaking discoveries
When a patient suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis—a rare and fatal lung disease—made the selfless decision to donate his lung at the end of his life, he likely didn't realize he was contributing to what scientists call "an incredibly precious and unique resource in the world" 8 . This single donation joined thousands of others in the James Hogg Lung Biobank (JHLB), western Canada's largest lung tissue repository, which has been quietly powering respiratory research since 1977 1 4 .
Imagine a library, but instead of books, its shelves contain the very building blocks of human life—delicate lung tissues preserved alongside critical clinical information. This is the essence of a biobank, and for nearly five decades, the JHLB has served as a living encyclopedia of lung health and disease, contributing to over 800 published research projects that are helping unravel the mysteries of conditions like COPD, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis 1 4 .
In an era where personalized medicine is transforming healthcare, this biobank represents both a window into the history of respiratory disease and a gateway to future treatments.
At its simplest, a biobank is a carefully organized collection of biological samples—in this case, lung tissue, blood, and other biospecimens—donated by patients for research purposes 6 8 . But what makes the JHLB exceptional isn't just what it stores, but how it stores these precious donations and the wealth of associated clinical data that accompanies each sample.
"When a donor lung arrives at our biobank," explains one researcher, "we air-inflate it to a specific pressure through the main bronchus to preserve the natural tissue architecture, then freeze it over liquid nitrogen vapor in its inflated state." 4 This meticulous process ensures that the lung's delicate structure remains intact for future research. Each frozen lung then undergoes computed tomography (CT) scanning to create a detailed 3D map, allowing scientists to pinpoint specific sites of disease activity or healthy tissue for their studies 4 .
Lung tissue is collected from consenting patients during surgeries or post-mortem.
Lungs are inflated to preserve natural architecture before freezing.
Tissue is frozen over liquid nitrogen vapor to maintain viability.
3D mapping creates detailed anatomical reference for researchers.
Clinical and demographic information is linked to each sample.
The numbers behind the JHLB testify to its significance in respiratory research:
| Metric | Statistics | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Established | 1977 | Longest-running lung biobank in Canada 1 |
| Specimens | >90,000 | From over 3,000 patients 1 4 |
| Research Impact | >800 published projects | Approximately 10 publications per year currently 1 4 |
| New Donations | ~12 per year | Ongoing growth of collection 4 |
The biobank's collection spans the full spectrum of lung disease, with significant cohorts of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cystic fibrosis, and fatal asthma 4 . Historically, most specimens came from lung cancer surgeries at St. Paul's Hospital, where patients often had concurrent COPD, providing researchers with valuable insights into disease combinations 4 .
The JHLB has been particularly instrumental in studying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) 1 4 . These complex conditions involve multiple cell types and structural components of the lung, making simple cell culture models inadequate for research. By providing access to actual human tissue with preserved architecture, the biobank enables scientists to study these diseases in their natural context.
What makes the JHLB especially valuable is the clinical and demographic data associated with each sample 1 . Before their surgeries, most patients underwent extensive lung function testing and detailed interviews about their occupational history and exposure to potential lung toxins 4 . This has created an invaluable database connecting tissue characteristics with real-world exposures and clinical outcomes.
The true power of the JHLB lies in its ability to enable research using technologies that didn't even exist when many of the samples were collected. "The donations being received today could very well be used for research in the future using technology which currently does not exist," notes one researcher 4 .
Examining DNA variations associated with disease
Understanding gene expression patterns
Identifying protein biomarkers
Studying tissue structure and cellular composition
These multi-faceted approaches allow researchers to build comprehensive pictures of how lung diseases develop and progress at the molecular level.
One of the most innovative applications of biobanked lung tissue recently emerged from research published in 2025, where scientists developed a human Precision-Cut Lung Slice (PCLS) model to study lung injury and repair 3 . This experimental approach, known as the human Acid Injury and Repair (hAIR) model, provides a crucial bridge between simple cell cultures and complex human studies.
The hAIR model addresses a significant challenge in respiratory research: the lungs contain numerous cell types in specific architectural arrangements that are essential to their function but are lost in traditional petri dish experiments 3 . By using precision-cut slices of actual human lung tissue from the biobank, researchers can preserve these native cell relationships while still conducting controlled experiments.
The methodology for creating and using the hAIR model demonstrates the sophisticated science made possible by biobanked tissues:
Resected human lung tissue from the biobank is coated with alginate hydrogel to form an "artificial pleura," then inflated with agarose to maintain its structure during slicing 3 .
The tissue is cut into thin slices (450-500 micrometers) using a specialized tissue slicer, creating what are known as precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) that retain the lung's complex cellular architecture 3 .
Researchers apply a cloning cylinder coated with silicone grease to isolate a specific area on the lung slice, then add hydrochloric acid in a viscous Pluronic gel to create a localized injury that mimics certain types of lung damage 3 .
The injured slices are cultured for 48 hours, then analyzed using various staining techniques to track how different cell types respond to and repair the injury 3 .
| Cell Type | Marker Used | Role in Lung Repair |
|---|---|---|
| Alveolar Type II Cells | proSP-C, HTII | Act as facultative stem cells that help restore damaged alveolar epithelium 3 |
| Lipofibroblasts | ADRP | Support epithelial cell repair and maintain alveolar structure 3 |
| Endothelial Cells | ERG | Form blood vessels crucial for gas exchange and tissue nutrition 3 |
| Proliferating Cells | Ki67 | Indicate active cell division in response to injury 3 |
The results from the hAIR model experiments revealed several important insights into how human lungs respond to injury:
| Parameter Measured | Finding | Research Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Cell Proliferation | No significant change | Suggests human lung repair may initially activate existing cells rather than triggering immediate cell division 3 |
| ATII Cell Response | Significant increase in proSP-C and HTII positive cells | Supports role of ATII cells as early responders in alveolar repair 3 |
| Model Viability | Maintained multiple relevant cell types | Confirms hAIR model as physiologically relevant for studying human lung repair 3 |
| Injury Pattern | Heterogeneous injury similar to human disease | Better mimics real-world lung injuries compared to uniform cell culture models 3 |
This experimental model is now being used to test potential new drugs and understand the fundamental mechanisms of lung repair, bringing us closer to treatments for conditions that currently have limited options.
Modern lung research relies on a sophisticated array of reagents and tools to extract information from biobanked tissues. Here are some of the essential components used in experiments like the hAIR model:
| Reagent/Tool | Function | Application Example |
|---|---|---|
| proSP-C & HTII Antibodies | Identify alveolar type II progenitor cells | Tracking stem cell activation after injury 3 |
| Ki67 Antibodies | Detect proliferating cells | Measuring cell division in response to injury or treatment 3 |
| ADRP Markers | Highlight lipofibroblasts | Monitoring stromal cell response during repair 3 |
| Calcein AM & Ethidium Homodimer-1 | Distinguish live vs. dead cells | Assessing tissue viability after injury or drug treatment 3 |
| Precision Tissue Slicers | Create uniform tissue slices | Generating PCLS for ex vivo experiments 3 |
| Alginate Hydrogel | Form artificial pleura | Protecting tissue structure during processing 3 |
| Pluronic Gel | Increase solution viscosity | Localizing acid injury in hAIR model 3 |
The true measure of the JHLB's success lies in its tangible impact on respiratory medicine. With contributions to over 800 research publications and counting, this repository has become a cornerstone of pulmonary research not just in Canada, but internationally 1 4 . The biobank's influence extends across multiple areas:
The JHLB doesn't operate in isolation—it's part of a growing network of biobanks connected through initiatives like the Canadian Tissue Repository Network (CTRNet), which establishes common standards to harmonize biospecimen quality and governance 5 . This collaboration ensures that samples from different collections can be compared meaningfully, amplifying the research impact.
"The importance of biobanks to precision health, information-based medicine, and the quality of health care is becoming increasingly recognized."
The global biobanking market, valued at approximately $68 billion in 2021 and anticipated to reach $118 billion by 2031, reflects this growing significance 8 .
The James Hogg Lung Biobank represents something rare in science: a 46-year conversation between donors, researchers, and the patients who ultimately benefit from the discoveries 1 4 . Each of the 90,000 specimens in its collection is more than just tissue—it's a chapter in the ongoing story of how we understand and treat lung disease.
For patients like the man with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who donated his lung at life's end, the biobank ensures that their gift continues to give long after they're gone. Their legacy lives on in every discovery, every publication, and every treatment advance that emerges from this remarkable collection.
As technology continues to evolve, who knows what questions future scientists will ask of these preserved tissues? What we do know is that thanks to the foresight of those who established and maintained this biobank, and the generosity of those who donated, the answers will continue to emerge for decades to come.