National Biobank Program

Background

The use of biobanks in research allows studies to be designed to produce more reliable results in a more efficient way. Biobanks allows large epidemiological studies to be performed in clearly defined populations in a relatively short time. Techniques commonly used in biobank based studies include molecular genetics, proteomics, seroepidemiology, and comparable genomics.

Biobank based research requires

i. biobanks with samples from a large number of subjects, preferably with long follow-up time.

ii. an extensive system for follow-up to minimise the proportion of drop-outs and with confidence establish the disease incidences, for example through the use of a population based health registry.

Sweden has large, comprehensive biobanks that have been collected during routine medical health care. Sweden also has several population based, well characterised biobanks collected specifically for research. In combination with several comprehensive registries with health care information, mortality and hereditary data (for example the National Cancer Registry, the Patient Registry, the Multigeneration Registry and the Twin Registry), Sweden has extraordinary opportunities for biobank based research.

Objectives

– To establish a national system for Quality Assurance regarding collection, handling, storage and documentation of biological samples in Swedish biobanks.

– To compile information on the organisation, content and priority rules regarding samples in Swedish biobanks and their use.

– To increase knowledge on the usability of Swedish biobank samples. This is mainly achieved by supporting the gathering of health information on the biobank samples and by a systematic and technical investigation of the usability of different kinds of samples.

– To increase knowledge on how biobank based studies should be designed, especially regarding legal, ethical and statistic questions on the use of biobank samples.

Organisation

The previous platform 4, Biobanking and Genetic Epidemiology, in Wallenberg Consortium North, WCN, has been combined with the previous program for biobanks in the platform Profiling Polygenic Diseases, Swegene. Co-ordinator is professor Joakim Dillner, Medical Microbiology, Malmö. A national reference group, consisting of members from all participating universities, has a consultative function, especially regarding identification and overlapping competence.

Workpackages

Our work is divided into the following workpackages:

1. "Good Banking Practice".
Responsible: Göran Hallmans
Annual report 2003.
Suggestion on SOP: Collection of blood samples.

2. Biostatistic questions regarding biobanks.
This workpackage have been transferred to the Bioinformatic platform in Wallenberg Consortium North
Responsible: Juni Palmgren
Slutrapport.

3. IT-development.
Investigation of Information Technological possibilities with regard to biobank samples and information in the Swedish health care system.
Responsible: Kent Lundholm
Annual report 2002.
Investigation: ”Biobanker: Digitalt gränssnitt i sjukvård och forskning”

4.1 Automated pick-out systems of biobank samples.
Robotized pick-out system of biobank samples have been installed and is now being evaluated in the largest research biobank in Sweden.
Responsible: Göran Hallmans
Technical report BiomekFX 2003.
Annual report 2004.
Appendix III - annual report 2004.

4.2 Twin Biobank.
Investigates the possibility to establish a biobank connected to the Twin Registry.
Responsible: Ulf de Faire
Final report 2005.

4.3 DNA extraction.
Service facility for quality assured, large scale DNA extraction of biobank samples. DNA has now been extracted from all 28 000 participants in the Malmö Diet and Cancer biobank. The usability of different kinds of biological samples (buffy coat, formaline fixed tissues, gynecological cellular samples, serum, dried blood on paper, etc) is systematically evaluated.
Responsible: Göran Berglund och Joyce Carlson
Annual report 2003.

4.4 DNA Extraction Facility at Karolinska Institutet-Biobank.
Final report 2005.

5.1 Biobank for fresh frozen tissue.
Development of optimised methods for the systematic biobanking of fresh frozen pathological tissues, including microdissection.
Responsible: Johan Botling
Annual report 2004.

5.2 Database system: a catalogue on tissue samples.
Development and distribution.
Responsible: Bertil Hamberger

5.3 Tissue Arrays.
Automatic systems for production of tissue arrays for effective analysis of especially valuable or interesting and well-characterised pathological samples.
Responsible: Göran Landberg
Year report 2003.
Annual report 2006.

5.4 Brain and proteomics biobanking.
Responsible: Monica Nistér
Protein Extract Quality.
Protein Extraction 2003 08 07.
Sample Handling 2003 08 05.
Final report 2005.
Appendix final report 2005.

6. Multigeneration Registry.
Enhancement of the quality of the Swedish Multigeneration Registry and demonstration of its usability in biobank based studies.
Responsible: Anders Ekbom
Annual report 2003.

7. Ethical and legal aspects.
Investigation of ethical and legal requirements for biobank based studies.
Responsible: Mats G. Hansson
Annual report 2004.

Archived files