Tumour Tissue Repository, Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer Agency, 2410 Lee Ave, Victoria, BC, Canada.
J Transl Med. 2009 Nov 12;7:95. doi: 10.1186/1479-5876-7-95.
Medical research to improve health care faces a major problem in the relatively limited availability of adequately annotated and collected biospecimens. This limitation is creating a growing gap between the pace of scientific advances and successful exploitation of this knowledge. Biobanks are an important conduit for transfer of biospecimens (tissues, blood, body fluids) and related health data to research. They have evolved outside of the historical source of tissue biospecimens, clinical pathology archives. Research biobanks have developed advanced standards, protocols, databases, and mechanisms to interface with researchers seeking biospecimens. However, biobanks are often limited in their capacity and ability to ensure quality in the face of increasing demand. Our strategy to enhance both capacity and quality in research biobanking is to create a new framework that repatriates the activity of biospecimen accrual for biobanks to clinical pathology.
The British Columbia (BC) BioLibrary is a framework to maximize the accrual of high-quality, annotated biospecimens into biobanks. The BC BioLibrary design primarily encompasses: 1) specialized biospecimen collection units embedded within clinical pathology and linked to a biospecimen distribution system that serves biobanks; 2) a systematic process to connect potential donors with biobanks, and to connect biobanks with consented biospecimens; and 3) interdisciplinary governance and oversight informed by public opinion.
The BC BioLibrary has been embraced by biobanking leaders and translational researchers throughout BC, across multiple health authorities, institutions, and disciplines. An initial pilot network of three Biospecimen Collection Units has been successfully established. In addition, two public deliberation events have been held to obtain input from the public on the BioLibrary and on issues including consent, collection of biospecimens and governance.
The BC BioLibrary framework addresses common issues for clinical pathology, biobanking, and translational research across multiple institutions and clinical and research domains. We anticipate that our framework will lead to enhanced biospecimen accrual capacity and quality, reduced competition between biobanks, and a transparent process for donors that enhances public trust in biobanking.
医学研究要想改善医疗保健，就面临着生物标本标注和采集相对有限的严重问题。这种局限性正在造成科学进步的速度与成功利用这方面知识之间差距的不断扩大。生物库是将生物标本（组织、血液、体液）和相关健康数据转移到研究中的重要渠道。它们是在组织生物标本的传统来源——临床病理学档案之外发展起来的。研究型生物库制定了先进的标准、方案、数据库和与寻求生物标本的研究人员对接的机制。然而，生物库的能力和确保质量的能力常常受到限制，难以满足日益增长的需求。我们加强研究型生物库的能力和质量的策略是创建一个新框架，将生物标本采集活动交还临床病理学。
不列颠哥伦比亚省（BC）生物库是一个最大限度地增加高质量、标注生物标本进入生物库的框架。BC 生物库的设计主要包括：1）嵌入临床病理学并与生物库服务的生物标本分配系统相连接的专门生物标本采集单位；2）将潜在供体与生物库联系起来，并将生物库与同意的生物标本联系起来的系统过程；3）由公众意见提供信息的跨学科治理和监督。
BC 生物库得到了整个不列颠哥伦比亚省、多个卫生当局、机构和学科的生物库领导者和转化研究人员的接受。已经成功建立了三个生物标本采集单位的初始试点网络。此外，还举行了两次公众审议活动，就生物库以及包括同意、生物标本采集和治理在内的问题，从公众那里获取意见。
BC 生物库框架解决了多个机构和临床及研究领域的临床病理学、生物库和转化研究的共同问题。我们预计，我们的框架将提高生物标本采集的能力和质量，减少生物库之间的竞争，并为供体提供一个透明的过程，增强公众对生物库的信任。
