The term, “biobanking” refers to the practice of collecting biological samples including blood, bone marrow, urine, spinal fluid, saliva, and tissue. Samples are used for research to gain more understanding of health and disease. Biobanks serve as a biorepository that collects, processes, stores, and supplies specimens and data for clinical and research investigations.
History of Biobanking
Biobanking began about 30 years ago at a small university. It was established for specific studies but has now grown and evolved significantly. Although biobanking began as a storage option for basic biological samples, facilities have grown to be sophisticated entities that are parts of larger infrastructure networks.
Role of Biobanking Today
The medical field today has entered a new age for patients, healthcare providers, and academic institutions as these entities now bring results together to advance in detecting and treating a wide array of diseases. As it stands today, biobanking plays a significant role in the field of biomedical research. Biospecimens are preserved in numerous biobanks around the world. Researchers continue to develop new techniques and strategies for detecting the origins of disease and seek to provide more personalized options for treatment.
Currently, many large-scale biobanking initiatives continue on national, international, and institutional levels. Biobanks provide exceptional resources for researching many complex diseases like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Combining biobank resources with questionnaires and medical record data is vital to the improvement of population health by making medicine customized and more effective.
Biobank Advantages
It’s difficult to put a value on biobanks and biorepositories. Every year, lives are saved by the infrastructure that enables scientists and researchers to investigate diseases. Many life-threatening diseases have been either significantly reduced or completely eradicated through these efforts. Biobanks are an invaluable resource for modern science when it comes to genomics, metabolomics research, therapeutic target creation, proteomics, molecular epidemiology, and biomarker and drug finding. It’s not really much of a surprise that industry and academic researchers have a growing interest in biobanking.
Oncology and Biobanking
Cancer biobanks use a sophisticated system to store cancer samples and data that are used on a global scale. They are used for cancer prevention, diagnosis, detection, and treatment. Cancer biobanks are on a route to revolutionize research, advance genetic studies, and identify future drug targets.
Cardiovascular Disorders and Biobanks
Cardiovascular disorders, like cancer, are a large cause of death and morbidity in adults and children alike. Recent breakthroughs in cardiology research have led to the discovery of some possible proteins and genetic biomarkers. Biobanks are a valuable resource for cardiovascular research and help lead the way to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disorders.
Biobanks and Pandemics
Biobanks have played a useful role in the recent COVID-19 pandemic as well. Samples stored and retrieved from biobanks have enabled researchers they need to research and study the coronavirus and develop vaccines.
In Conclusion
Biobanking is having a remarkable impact on health sciences worldwide. Samples are used on a wide scale from small operations to larger, complex enterprises. They are playing a role in paving the way for the personalization of medicine and treatment.
References:
https://www.biobanking.com/author/admin/
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/bio.2014.0061
https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1016/j.molonc.2008.07.004
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20680423/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7275812/
