Difference between revisions of "Biobanking Definition"

Revision as of 04:08, 20 April 2006

Biobanking (a.k.a. biorepositories or tissue banks)

Biobanks are a new frontier for biomolecular research, clinical genomics and personal medicine that seeks to integrate collections of bio-specimens (blood, DNA, tissue, biopsy specimens, etc) with corresponding patient data such as genetic profiles, medical histories, and lifestyle information.

By combining and comparing biological tissue samples with genetic and historical patient information, researchers will be able to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of diseases in rich new ways. New insights into molecular and genetic processes will lead to better techniques for predicting who may be susceptible to particular illnesses, as well as to more targeted and innovative ways to treat many diseases.

As medicine and information technologies continue to converge, biobanking offers new abilities to study the complex interaction between genes, the environment and social factors. One element of the movement toward “information-based medicine” and computational biology, biobanking promises to be an essential tool for translating new biomedical knowledge into new clinical practices, diagnostic techniques and preventative treatments.

While biobanking is still in its infancy, some critics question whether behavioral and lifestyle data can be tracked and measured against genetic data in ways that will lead to major breakthroughs. Others challenge the assumption that genetics plays a decisive role in most disease processes.