Ethical, legal, and social implications of biobanks for genetics research

When Biobanks Meet Religion: Association Between Religiosity and Attitudes of Polish Medical Students Toward Biobanking of Human Biological Material for Research Purposes

While biobanking is expanding globally, the empirical evidence concerning the impact of religion on future healthcare professionals' awareness and willingness to donate biospecimens for biobank research is lacking. To understand how medical students' religious beliefs can fuel their questions regarding how biospecimens would be stored, cared for, and used, we conducted a survey among 1500 medical students at Poznań University of Medical Sciences. Our findings suggest that, while both religious and nonreligious students supported the idea of biobanking of human biological material and were willing to donate for research purposes, nonreligious students felt more positive toward biobanking, supported the idea of establishing biobanks in Poland more often, and were more eager to donate most types of tissues and to participate in biobank research. Religious beliefs were also associated with medical students' perception of benefits and risks resulting from biobanking, perceived trust toward various biobank institutions, and preferred type of consent.

How Real-World Data Can Facilitate the Development of Precision Medicine Treatment in Psychiatry

Precision medicine has the ambition to improve treatment response and clinical outcomes through patient stratification and holds great potential for the treatment of mental disorders. However, several important factors are needed to transform current practice into a precision psychiatry framework. Most important are 1) the generation of accessible large real-world training and test data including genomic data integrated from multiple sources, 2) the development and validation of advanced analytical tools for stratification and prediction, and 3) the development of clinically useful management platforms for patient monitoring that can be integrated into health care systems in real-life settings. This narrative review summarizes strategies for obtaining the key elements-well-powered samples from large biobanks integrated with electronic health records and health registry data using novel artificial intelligence algorithms-to predict outcomes in severe mental disorders and translate these models into clinical management and treatment approaches. Key elements are massive mental health data and novel artificial intelligence algorithms. For the clinical translation of these strategies, we discuss a precision medicine platform for improved management of mental disorders. We use cases to illustrate how precision medicine interventions could be brought into psychiatry to improve the clinical outcomes of mental disorders.

Scar Management and Dyschromia: A Summary Report from the 2021 American Burn Association State of the Science Meeting

Burn scars, and in particular, hypertrophic scars, are a challenging yet common outcome for survivors of burn injuries. In 2021, the American Burn Association brought together experts in burn care and research to discuss critical topics related to burns, including burn scars, at its State of the Science conference. Clinicians and researchers with burn scar expertise, as well as burn patients, industry representatives, and other interested stakeholders met to discuss issues related to burn scars and discuss priorities for future burn scar research. The various preventative strategies and treatment modalities currently utilized for burn scars were discussed, including relatively noninvasive therapies such as massage, compression, and silicone sheeting, as well as medical interventions such as corticosteroid injection and laser therapies. A common theme that emerged is that the efficacy of current therapies for specific patient populations is not clear, and further research is needed to improve upon these treatments and develop more effective strategies to suppress scar formation. This will necessitate quantitative analyses of outcomes and would benefit from creation of scar biobanks and shared data resources. In addition, outcomes of importance to patients, such as scar dyschromia, must be given greater attention by clinicians and researchers to improve overall quality of life in burn survivors. Herein we summarize the main topics of discussion from this meeting and offer recommendations for areas where further research and development are needed.

Public Attitude towards Biobanking: An Italian University Survey

Biobanks have established a critical role in biomedical research by collecting, preserving, organizing, and disseminating biospecimens and related health data, contributing to precision medicine development. Participation in biobanks is influenced by several factors, such as trust in institutions and scientists, knowledge about biobanking, and the consideration of benefit sharing. Understanding public attitudes, fears, and concerns toward biobanking is fundamental to designing targeted interventions to increase trust towards biobanks. The aim of our study was to investigate the level of knowledge and perception of biobanks in students and personnel of the University of Piemonte Orientale. An online questionnaire was designed and administered via e-mail. A total of 17,758 UPO personnel and students were invited to participate in the survey, and 1521 (9.3%) subjects completed the survey. The results showed that 65.0% of the participants were aware of the term "biobank" and knew what the activity of a biobank was, and 76.3% of subjects were willing to provide biospecimens to a research biobank, whereas 67.3% of the respondents were willing to contribute, in addition to biospecimens, their health and lifestyle data. Concerns were raised about the confidentiality of the information (25.6%) and the commercial use of the samples (25.0%). In conclusion, participants were aware of the role that biobanks play in research and were eager to participate for the sake of furthering scientific research. Still, several concerns need to be addressed regarding the confidentiality of the data along with the commercial use of the samples and associated data.

The commercialization of biospecimens from Indigenous Peoples: A scoping review of benefit-sharing

Background

There is ongoing and increasing interest in the commercialization of biospecimen-derived products from Indigenous Peoples. Discourse on benefit-sharing specifically in the context of the commercialization of Indigenous Peoples biospecimens are currently lacking. A better understanding of the potential ethical imperatives is in need of exploration on this emerging topic. This review sought to elucidate through categorization the current discourse in the peer-reviewed literature on the commercialization of Indigenous Peoples' biospecimens from a benefit-sharing perspective.

Methods

A scoping review methodology was utilized to perform a search of PubMed, CINAHL, Embase and Google Scholar. A two-stage screening process was used to assess the relevance of any included articles with subsequent manual open coding of articles. Content analysis was applied to identify the main categories and sub-categories within the article data.

Results

Thirty-three articles met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Four overarching categories from the included articles were identified regarding the most common discourse on the commercialization of Indigenous Peoples' biospecimens from a benefit-sharing perspective, including: exploitation through biocolonialism, sovereignty and Indigenous rights, ethical considerations for benefit-sharing, and guidelines and standards concerns.

Conclusion

This scoping review highlighted the crucial need to keep Indigenous communities at the center of research projects, ensuring any benefits, advancement, and potential commercial profits are returned to communities through clear and ethical agreements. We encourage all research institutions and institutional ethical review bodies to better clarify the collective needs and interests of Indigenous communities while centering their sovereignty and rights within the research process as it pertains to potential biospecimen product commercialization.

The social aspects of genome editing: publics as stakeholders, populations and participants in animal research

The application of genome editing to animal research connects to a wide variety of policy concerns and public conversations. We suggest focusing narrowly on public opinion of genome editing is to overlook the range of positions from which people are brought into relationships with animal research through these technologies. In this paper, we explore three key roles that publics are playing in the development of genome editing techniques applied to animals in biomedical research. First, publics are positioned by surveys and focus groups as stakeholders with opinions that matter to the development of research technologies. Learning lessons from controversies over genetically modified food in Europe, these methods are used to identify problems in science-society relations that need to be managed. Second, people are recruited into research projects through participating in biobanks and providing data, where their contributions are encouraged by appeals to the public good and maintained by public confidence. Thirdly, patients are increasingly taking positions within research governance, as lay reviewers on funding panels, where their expertise helps align research priorities and practices with public expectations of research. These plural publics do not easily aggregate into a simple or singular public opinion on genome editing. We conclude by suggesting more attention is needed to the multiple roles that different publics expect - and are expected - to play in the future development of genomic technologies.

Researchers views about perceived harms and benefits of gene editing: A study from the MENA region

BACKGROUND

The development of gene editing technologies is very promising for the treatment of genetic diseases. However, gene editing can be also used to enhance the characteristics of healthy individuals. This study aims to determine ethical challenges that may face the constitution of gene editing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

METHODS

An online discussion forum about the ethical challenges of applying gene editing technologies was held. The participants were a group of researchers (n = 28) from the MENA region.

RESULTS

Most of the participants agreed on the importance of gene editing for the treatment of genetic diseases. However, participants had concerns regarding the use of gene editing to enhance the characteristics of healthy individuals such as athletic abilities and intelligence. Among ethical issues that were raised are justice, harm, beneficence, discrimination, conflict with religion and culture, and lack of regulations.

CONCLUSION

Several ethical issues were raised for using gene editing technologies based on the perception of biomedical researchers from the MENA region. Therefore, the scientific community and other interested bioethical, social, legal, and governmental parties should be provided with a detailed guide from the scientists in this area for future uses of this technology.

National Biobanking in Qatar and Israel: Tracing how Global Scientific Institutions Mediate Local Ethnic Identities

Biobanks are a growing phenomenon in global biomedicine, as they are key tools of precision medicine initiatives. National biobanks, however, collect data and biological material from populations in specific regions, and the knowledge that national biobanks yield can impact understandings of identity, origins and belonging. Drawing on ethnographic work and documentary analysis examining the Israeli and Qatari national biobanks, I find that these two Middle Eastern biobanks aim to contribute to global biobanking trends, while at the same time, they reinforce local ethnic and national identities. The Israeli biobank reflects pre-existing ethnic identities in Israeli society, while the Qatari biobank predominantly emphasises the emergent national character of the Qatari population. Neither of the biobanks assert a high genetic homogeneity of the national population; rather, they both emphasise a genetically diverse national cohort that is a valuable resource for biomedical research. Through a comparative analysis of global biobanking and ethnic identities, this article demonstrates that biobanks are a rich site for tracking emergent national identities in the Middle East region.

"Just tell me what's going on": The views of parents of children with genetic conditions regarding the research use of their child's electronic health record

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to understand the ethical, legal, and social issues described by parents of children with known or suspected genetic conditions that cause intellectual and developmental disabilities regarding research use of their child's electronic health record (EHR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted 4 focus groups with parents of children with a known (n = 12) or suspected (n = 11) genetic condition, as well as 2 comparison groups with parents who had a child with no known genetic condition (n = 15). Focus group transcripts were coded and analyzed using directed content analysis.

RESULTS

After weighing the risks and benefits, parents of children with known or suspected genetic conditions were willing to share their child's EHR for research studies under certain conditions. Preferences were for studies conducted by universities or nonprofits that might benefit their child or others with the same condition. Parents also valued return of research results.

DISCUSSION

Trust, transparency, altruism, and concerns about privacy emerged as factors that affect parents' willingness to allow research use of their child's EHR.

CONCLUSION

Researchers should consider how to build trust with parents by increasing transparency of the research process and explaining specifically how they will ensure the confidentiality of EHR data.

The reported impact of public involvement in biobanks: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Biobanks increasingly employ public involvement and engagement strategies, though few studies have explored their impact. This review aims to (a) investigate how the impact of public involvement in biobanks is reported and conceptualized by study authors; in order to (b) suggest how the research community might re-conceptualize the impact of public involvement in biobanks.

METHODS

A systematic literature search of three electronic databases and the INVOLVE Evidence Library in January 2019. Studies commenting on the impact of public involvement in a biobank were included, and a narrative review was conducted.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Forty-one studies covering thirty-one biobanks were included, with varying degrees of public involvement. Impact was categorized according to where it was seen: 'the biobank', 'people involved' and 'the wider research community'. Most studies reported involvement in a 'functional' way, in relation to improved rates of participation in the biobank. Broader forms of impact were reported but were vaguely defined and measured. This review highlights a lack of clarity of purpose and varied researcher conceptualizations of involvement. We pose three areas for further research and consideration by biobank researchers and public involvement practitioners.

CONCLUSIONS

Functional approaches to public involvement in biobanking limit impact. This conceptualization of involvement emerges from an entrenched technical understanding that ignores its political nature, complicated by long-standing disagreement about the values of public involvement. This study urges a re-imagination of impact, re-conceptualized as a two-way learning process. More support will help researchers and members of the public to undergo such reflective exercises.

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Related to the Inclusion of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities in Electronic Health Record Research: Scoping Review

Background

Data from electronic health records (EHRs) are increasingly used in the field of genetic research to further precision medicine initiatives. However, many of these efforts exclude individuals with intellectual disabilities, which often stem from genetic conditions. To include this important subpopulation in EHR research, important ethical, legal, and social issues should be considered.

Objective

The goal of this study was to review prior research to better understand what ethical, legal, and social issues may need further investigation when considering the research use of EHRs for individuals with genetic conditions that may result in intellectual disability. This information will be valuable in developing methods and best practices for involving this group in research given they are considered a vulnerable population that may need special research protections.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review to examine issues related to the use of EHRs for research purposes and those more broadly associated with genetic research. The initial search yielded a total of 460 unique citations. We used an evaluative coding process to determine relevancy for inclusion.

Results

This approach resulted in 59 articles in the following areas: informed consent, privacy and security, return of results, and vulnerable populations. The review included several models of garnering informed consent in EHR or genetic research, including tiered or categorical, blanket or general, open, and opt-out models. Second, studies reported on patients’ concerns regarding the privacy and security of EHR or genetic data, such as who has access, type of data use in research, identifiability, and risks associated with privacy breach. The literature on return of research results using biospecimens examined the dissension in the field, particularly when sharing individualized genetic results. Finally, work involving vulnerable populations highlighted special considerations when conducting EHR or genetic research.

Conclusions

The results frame important questions for researchers to consider when designing EHR studies, which include individuals with intellectual disabilities, including appropriate safeguards and protections.

Future-proofing biobanks' governance

Good biobank governance implies—at a minimum—transparency and accountability and the implementation of oversight mechanisms. While the biobanking community is in general committed to such principles, little is known about precisely which governance strategies biobanks adopt to meet those objectives. We conducted an exploratory analysis of governance mechanisms adopted by research biobanks, including genetic biobanks, located in Europe and Canada. We reviewed information available on the websites of 69 biobanks, and directly contacted them for additional information. Our study identified six types of commonly adopted governance strategies: communication, compliance, expert advice, external review, internal procedures, and partnerships. Each strategy is implemented through different mechanisms including, independent ethics assessment, informed consent processes, quality management, data access control, legal compliance, standard operating procedures and external certification. Such mechanisms rely on a wide range of bodies, committees and actors from both within and outside the biobanks themselves. We found that most biobanks aim to be transparent about their governance mechanisms, but could do more to provide more complete and detailed information about them. In particular, the retrievable information, while showing efforts to ensure biobanks operate in a legitimate way, does not specify in sufficient detail how governance mechanisms support accountability, nor how they ensure oversight of research operations. This state of affairs can potentially undermine biobanks’ trustworthiness to stakeholders and the public in a long-term perspective. Given the ever-increasing reliance of biomedical research on large biological repositories and their associated databases, we recommend that biobanks increase their efforts to future-proof their governance.

At a Moment's Notice: Community Advisory Board Perspectives on Biobank Communication to Supplement Broad Consent

INTRODUCTION

To address ethical concerns about the of future research authorization, biobanks employing a broad model of consent can design ongoing communication with contributors. Notifying contributors at the time of sample distribution provides one form of communication to supplement broad consent. However, little is known about how community-informed governance might anticipate contributor responses and inform communication efforts.

OBJECTIVE

We explored the attitudes of members of a three-site Community Advisory Board (CAB) network. CAB members responded to a hypothetical proposal for notifying biobank contributors at the time of sample distribution to researchers utilizing the biobank.

METHODS

We used regularly scheduled CAB meetings to facilitate 3 large-group and 6 small-group discussions. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for thematic content using descriptive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The results challenged our expectation of general support for the proposed communications. While CAB members identified some advantages, they were concerned about several potential harms to biobank contributors and the biobank. The CABs understood biobank communication in terms of an ongoing relationship with the biobank and a personal contribution to research.

CONCLUSION

Our findings contribute to the emerging literature on community engagement in biobanking. Additional communication with biobank contributors can serve a variety of value-based objectives to supplement broad consent. Design of communication efforts by biobanks can be improved by CAB members' anticipation of the unintended consequences of additional contact with contributors. CAB members' holistic interpretation of communication efforts suggests that biobank leadership considers all communication options as part of a more comprehensive communications strategy.

Genomic data and the dividual self

In response to a recent commentary (Tigard, in press) on my previous article, ‘The Collective Nature of Personalized Medicine’ (McGonigle, 2016), herein I discuss collective responsibilities and rights in relation to the ethics of genomic data and personalized medicine. I respond to and elaborate on some of the issues Tigard raises and I draw on the anthropological concept of ‘dividuality’ to emphasize the precisely shared nature of genomic data in order to illuminate the ethical complexity surrounding their protection. Overall, I argue that genomic data, by virtue of their distributed and shared nature, necessitate novel approaches for bioethical assessment.

Broad consent for biobanks is best - provided it is also deep

BACKGROUND

As biobank research has become increasingly widespread within biomedical research, study-specific consent to each study, a model derived from research involving traditional interventions on human subjects, has for the sake of feasibility gradually given way to alternative consent models which do not require consent for every new study. Besides broad consent these models include tiered, dynamic, and meta-consent. However, critics have pointed out that it is normally not known at the time of enrolment in what ways samples deposited in a biobank may be used in future research and that, for a consent to be informed, exactly this kind of knowledge is required. Therefore, there is an ongoing debate about the ethical acceptability of going for less than study-specific consent.

MAIN TEXT

In light of this debate we address the question of how to best protect participants against relevant risks and violations of autonomy. We apply the central aims of the informed consent process to the unique circumstances of biobank research where samples and data in many cases are stored for long periods of time and reused in subsequent studies. Thereby we are able to formulate a set of criteria focusing both on the risk of informational harm and the potential violation of participants' values. We compare existing models of consent based on their ability to satisfy the criteria, and we find that the broad consent model offers the best level of protection for participants, although, it suffers from a few important deficiencies with regards to protection against participant value violations and long-term protection of autonomy, if it is applied without qualifications. For this reason, we propose modifications to the current broad consent model, in order to ensure that it provides protection of autonomy and participant values through strong ethical review and continuous communication.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that a modified form of broad consent is ethically superior in biobank research, not only because it is most feasible but primarily because it offers the best available protection against the hazards facing research subjects in this form of research.

Return of Value in the New Era of Biomedical Research-One Size Will Not Fit All

Background: There is a growing interest in creating large-scale repositories that store genetic, behavioral, and environmental data for future, unspecified uses. The All of Us Research Program is one example of such a repository. Its participants will get access to their personal data and the results of the studies that used them. However, little is known about what researchers should return to participants and how they should do it in a way that is valuable and meaningful to participants. Methods: To better understand the concept of "return of value" and the practice of returning valuable study information, we conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 44 stakeholders with diverse perspectives on this topic. All interviews have been transcribed and coded thematically to identify the most salient themes, to explore differences between returning different types of study results, and to describe differences and similarities in perspectives of different stakeholder groups. Results: We found that one size does not fit all when it comes to returning value to participants: the decisions about return of results are affected by participant preferences, researchers' concerns about feasibility, the types of data collected, their level of granularity, and available options for supporting result interpretation. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the key to operationalizing return of value and to identifying ways to return valuable information to study participants may be to find a point of equilibrium between criteria that may affect usefulness and feasibility. The point of equilibrium may vary by study, by participants' backgrounds and preferences, by their health literacy and access to regular healthcare, and by the resources available to professionals controlling the data. Future studies should explore the factors that determine the point of equilibrium between feasibility and usefulness.

Rethinking the ethical principles of genomic medicine services

Clinical genome and exome sequencing is currently used in only a small fraction of patients, yet large scale genomic initiatives are becoming more embedded in clinical services. This paper examines the ethical principles that should guide regulatory processes regarding consent and data sharing in this context. We argue that a genomic dataset administered by the health system carries substantial societal benefits, and that the collective nature of this initiative means that at least those patients who benefit from genome sequencing have an ethical obligation to share their health information. This obligation is grounded in considerations of fairness. Furthermore, we argue that the use of genomic data for the advancement of medical knowledge should be permitted without explicit consent and that international and other bodies should be granted access to these data, provided certain conditions are satisfied.

Impact of Cold Ischemic Time and Freeze-Thaw Cycles on RNA, DNA and Protein Quality in Colorectal Cancer Tissues Biobanking

Tissue-derived RNA, DNA and protein samples become more and more crucial for molecular detection in clinical research, personalized and targeted cancer therapy. This study evaluated how to biobanking colorectal tissues through examining the influences of cold ischemic time and freeze-thaw cycles on RNA, DNA and protein integrity. Here, 144 pairs of tumor and normal colorectal tissues were used to investigate the impact of cold ischemic times (0-48h) on RNA, DNA and protein integrity at on ice or room temperature conditions. Additionally, 45 pairs of tissues experienced 0-9 freeze-thaw cycles, and then the RNA, DNA and protein quality were analyzed. On ice, RNA, DNA and protein from colorectal tumor and normal tissues were all stable up to 48h after surgery. At room temperature, RNA in colorectal tumor and normal tissues began to degrade at 8h and 24h, respectively. Meanwhile, the tumor tissues DNA degradation occurred at 24h after surgery at room temperature. Similarly, the protein expression level of tumor and normal tissues began to change at 24h after the surgery at room temperature. Interestingly, tissue RNA and DNA remained stable even after 9 freeze-thaw cycles, whereas the proteins levels were remarkably changed after 7 freeze-thaw cycles. This study provided a useful evidence on how to store human colorectal tissues for biobanking. Preserving the surgical colorectal tissue on ice was an effective way to prevent RNA, DNA and protein degradation. Importantly, more than 7 repeated freeze-thaw cycles were not recommended for colorectal tissues.

The Human Lung Cell Atlas: A High-Resolution Reference Map of the Human Lung in Health and Disease

Lung disease accounts for every sixth death globally. Profiling the molecular state of all lung cell types in health and disease is currently revolutionizing the identification of disease mechanisms and will aid the design of novel diagnostic and personalized therapeutic regimens. Recent progress in high-throughput techniques for single-cell genomic and transcriptomic analyses has opened up new possibilities to study individual cells within a tissue, classify these into cell types, and characterize variations in their molecular profiles as a function of genetics, environment, cell-cell interactions, developmental processes, aging, or disease. Integration of these cell state definitions with spatial information allows the in-depth molecular description of cellular neighborhoods and tissue microenvironments, including the tissue resident structural and immune cells, the tissue matrix, and the microbiome. The Human Cell Atlas consortium aims to characterize all cells in the healthy human body and has prioritized lung tissue as one of the flagship projects. Here, we present the rationale, the approach, and the expected impact of a Human Lung Cell Atlas.

Model framework for governance of genomic research and biobanking in Africa - a content description

Genomic research and biobanking are expanding globally, with a promise to fast-track the research needed to improve approaches to disease treatment and prevention through scientific collaborations such as the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative. Integral to this type of research is the availability of samples and data for research. The need for broad access brings along a host of ethical concerns, including those related to privacy and confidentiality, as well as fairness and equity in access and capacity to utilise these samples between scientists from the high income and low income countries. Addressing these concerns while promoting genomic research, especially in Africa, requires the implementation of a sound governance framework. In this paper, we describe the contents of a Framework for Best Practice for Genomics Research and biobanking in Africa that was developed, under the auspices of the H3Africa initiative. This framework is broad enough to be used and adapted by African countries to facilitate the development of country-specific guidelines and to help improve the conduct and governance of genomics research.

Model framework for governance of genomic research and biobanking in Africa - a content description

Genomic research and biobanking are expanding globally, with a promise to fast-track the research needed to improve approaches to disease treatment and prevention through scientific collaborations such as the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative. Integral to this type of research is the availability of samples and data for research. The need for broad access brings along a host of ethical concerns, including those related to privacy and confidentiality, as well as fairness and equity in access and capacity to utilise these samples between scientists from the high income and low income countries. Addressing these concerns while promoting genomic research, especially in Africa, requires the implementation of a sound governance framework. In this paper, we describe the contents of a Framework for Best Practice for Genomics Research and biobanking in Africa that was developed, under the auspices of the H3Africa initiative. This framework is broad enough to be used and adapted by African countries to facilitate the development of country-specific guidelines and to help improve the conduct and governance of genomics research.

The perception of different social agents in Colombia regarding biobanks for research purposes

Introduction: Biobanks for research purposes are public assets that require active participation from all interested parties; therefore, it is important to discern and investigate the perception that the general public in Colombia has with regards to their participation in a biobank. Objective: To question different healthy Colombian social agents about the perception they have on donating human biological material to be stored in a biobank for future research purposes. Materials and methods: We conducted an exploratory quantitative and qualitative research by means of an anonymous survey on healthy members of the Colombian community in order to evaluate their knowledge and stances related to biobanks. Results: Three hundred sixty-eight (368) individuals completed the survey, including health-care researchers, lawyers and members of research ethics committees. Ninety-six percent (96%) of the subjects stated their willingness to donate biological material to biobanks, although 60% expressed distress about their samples being used for certain research activities, mainly human cloning. Even though about half of the participants reported knowing what a biobank is, less than 3% of the individuals had a clear concept of them. Conclusion: Participants showed their willingness to donate and store their biological material for research purposes. Similarly, they expressed their opinion about issues related to the management of biobanks. It is necessary to take into account the opinions of the general public in the development of policies that regulate biobanks for research purposes in Colombia.

Biobank integration of large-scale clinical and histopathology melanoma studies within the European Cancer Moonshot Lund Center

We present the Cancer Moonshot clinical project located at the European center in Lund. Here, tissue and blood samples have been collected and stored in a large-scale biobank. Multiple clinical centers around the world are participating and tissue and blood samples are sent to the European Cancer Moonshot Lund Center that acts as the clinical hub. Our center has been developed to generate and build large-scale biostorage archives of patient melanoma samples, which is then combined with a histopathological capability to characterize the patient tumours. Such a large-scale clinical sample processing initiative has begun with the aim of creating high-end histopathology indexing with database computational power and including proteogenomic analysis. The biobank at Lund has become an important resource in clinical research worldwide. Following suite, several national health programs are being initiated with the aim of also building large-scale biobank storages with a wealth of high-quality patient samples. In our Cancer Moonshot R&D activities, samples in the biobanks and the data derived from these samples are being used to build an understanding of disease presentation and using this information to move towards 'Big Data' proteogenomic and mass spectrometry imaging studies. Additionally, we report here a sample processing workflow that has been adapted to a fully-automated biobank processing strategy for large-scale studies.

Equity in international health research collaborations in Africa: Perceptions and expectations of African researchers

Introduction and method

Africa is currently host to a number of international genomics research and biobanking consortia, each with a mandate to advance genomics research and biobanking in Africa. Whilst most of these consortia promise to transform the way international health research is done in Africa, few have articulated exactly how they propose to go about this. In this paper, we report on a qualitative interviewing study in which we involved 17 genomics researchers in Africa. We describe their perceptions and expectations of international genomics research and biobanking initiatives in Africa.

Results

All interviewees were of the view that externally funded genomics research and biobanking initiatives in Africa, have played a critical role in building capacity for genomics research and biobanking in Africa and in providing an opportunity for researchers in Africa to collaborate and network with other researchers. Whilst the opportunity to collaborate was seen as a benefit, some interviewees stressed the importance of recognizing that these collaborations carry mutual benefits for all partners, including their collaborators in HICs. They also voiced two major concerns of being part of these collaborative initiatives: the possibility of exploitation of African researchers and the non-sustainability of research capacity building efforts. As a way of minimising exploitation, researchers in Africa recommended that genuine efforts be made to create transparent and equitable international health research partnerships. They suggested that this could be achieved through,: having rules of engagement, enabling African researchers to contribute to the design and conduct of international health projects in Africa, and mutual and respectful exchange of experience and capacity between research collaborators. These were identified as hallmarks to equitable international health research collaborations in Africa.

Conclusion

Genomics research and biobanking initiatives in Africa such as H3Africa have gone some way in defining aspects of fair and equitable research collaborations in Africa. However, they will need to strive at achieving equitable health research collaborations if they truly aim at setting a gold standard for how international health research should be conducted in Africa.

Tissue lithography: Microscale dewaxing to enable retrospective studies on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections

We present a new concept, termed tissue lithography (TL), and its implementation which enables retrospective studies on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Tissue lithography uses a microfluidic probe to remove microscale areas of the paraffin layer on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy samples. Current practices in sample utilization for research and diagnostics require complete deparaffinization of the sample prior to molecular testing. This imposes strong limitations in terms of the number of tests as well as the time when they can be performed on a single sample. Microscale dewaxing lifts these constraints by permitting deprotection of a fraction of a tissue for testing while keeping the remaining of the sample intact for future analysis. After testing, the sample can be sent back to storage instead of being discarded, as is done in standard workflows. We achieve this microscale dewaxing by hydrodynamically confining nanoliter volumes of xylene on top of the sample with a probe head. We demonstrate micrometer-scale, chromogenic and fluorescence-based immunohistochemistry against multiple biomarkers (p53, CD45, HER2 and β-actin) on tonsil and breast tissue sections and microarrays. We achieve stain patterns as small as 100 μm × 50 μm as well as multiplexed immunostaining within a single tissue microarray core with a 20-fold time reduction for local dewaxing as compared to standard protocols. We also demonstrate a 10-fold reduction in the rehydration time, leading to lower processing times between different stains. We further show the potential of TL for retrospective studies by sequentially dewaxing and staining four individual cores within the same tissue microarray over four consecutive days. By combining tissue lithography with the concept of micro-immunohistochemistry, we implement each step of the IHC protocol—dewaxing, rehydration and staining—with the same microfluidic probe head. Tissue lithography brings a new level of versatility and flexibility in sample processing and budgeting in biobanks, which may alleviate current sample limitations for retrospective studies in biomarker discovery and drug screening.

"Forward-Thinking" in U.S. Biobanking

AIMS

Do biobanks enact policies and plans that allow them to anticipate and respond to potential challenges? If a biobank has one such policy or plan, is it likely to have more? Using survey data from 456 U.S. biobanks, we assess four possible indicators of such "forward-thinking."

METHODS

We present response frequencies and cross-tabulations regarding policies for return of results and ownership of specimens, and for having a formal business plan and a plan for what happens to specimens if the biobank closes. We analyze the relationships among these indicators, using chi-square for tests of statistical significance.

RESULTS

Policies-Sixty-two percent of biobanks have a policy about returning individual research results; 70% have a policy designating ownership of specimens and/or technology. Having these two policies is significantly related (p < 0.001). Plans-34% of biobanks have a formal business plan; 26% have a written plan for what will happen to the specimens if the biobank closes. Having these two plans is significantly related (p < 0.001). Relationships among indicators-only 7% of biobanks are forward-thinking across all four indicators; 12% are forward-thinking across none.

DISCUSSION

The two policies we examined tend to occur together, as do the two plans. These policies and plans seem to tap different aspects of accountability and responsiveness. Specifically, the policies reflect issues most commonly raised in the ethical and legal literature on biobanking, while the plans are indicators of sustainability, a separate area of concern in biobanking.

Plasma degradome affected by variable storage of human blood

Background

The successful application of—omics technologies in the discovery of novel biomarkers and targets of therapeutic interventions is facilitated by large collections of well curated clinical samples stored in bio banks. Mining the plasma proteome holds promise to improve our understanding of disease mechanisms and may represent a source of biomarkers. However, a major confounding factor for defining disease-specific proteomic signatures in plasma is the variation in handling and processing of clinical samples leading to protein degradation. To address this, we defined a plasma proteolytic signature (degradome) reflecting pre-analytical variability in blood samples that remained at ambient temperature for different time periods after collection and prior to processing.

Methods

We obtained EDTA blood samples from five healthy volunteers (n = 5), and blood tubes remained at ambient temperature for 30 min, 8, 24 and 48 h prior to centrifugation and isolation of plasma. Naturally occurred peptides derived from plasma samples were compared by label-free quantitative LC–MS/MS. To profile protein degradation, we analysed pooled plasma samples at T = 30 min and 48 h using PROTOMAP analysis. The proteolytic pattern of selected protein candidates was further validated by immunoblotting.

Results

A total of 820 plasma proteins were surveyed by PROTOMAP, and for 4 % of these, marked degradation was observed. We show distinct proteolysis patterns for talin-1, coagulation factor XI, complement protein C1r, C3, C4 and thrombospondin, and several proteins including S100A8, A9, annexin A1, profiling-1 and platelet glycoprotein V are enriched after 48 h blood storage at ambient temperature. In particular, thrombospondin protein levels increased after 8 h and proteolytic fragments appeared after 24 h storage time.

Conclusions

The overall impact of blood storage at ambient temperature for variable times on the plasma proteome and degradome is relatively minor, but in some cases can cause a potential bias in identifying and assigning relevant proteomic markers. The observed effects on the plasma proteome and degradome are predominantly triggered by limited leucocyte and platelet cell activation due to blood handling and storage. The baseline plasma degradome signature presented here can help filtering candidate protein markers relevant for clinical biomarker studies.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12014-016-9126-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Views of Cohort Study Participants about Returning Research Results in the Context of Precision Medicine

BACKGROUND

The practice of biorepository-based genetics research raises questions related to what ethical obligations researchers have to their participants. It is important to explore and include the thoughts of current biorepository participants as we move forward with this type of research.

METHODS

Thirty participants (17 cancer patients, 7 cancer-free controls, and 6 relatives) were drawn from the Northwest Cancer Genetics Registry and participated in qualitative interviews lasting between 45 and 90 min. Topics explored in this study include which types of genetic test results participants of large biorepositories expect and would like to receive from research analyzing their samples, as well as thoughts on best practice for conducting this type of research.

RESULTS

Cancer cases, controls, and first-degree relatives have differing views on what results they would like to receive from biorepository-based research. Participants across all groups attempted to balance the costs and benefits of returning individual research results.

DISCUSSION

In the wake of precision medicine, it is important to describe the range of ways participants in large biorepositories both think and talk about the utilization of their specimens for genetics research.

Consent Issues in Genetic Research: Views of Research Participants

BACKGROUND

With the arrival of large-scale population-based genomic research studies, such as the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI), the question of how to best consent participants is significant, and in an era of patient-centered research, few studies have evaluated participants' preferences about re-consent and broad consent. Using quantitative methods, this study evaluates participants' views regarding the acceptability of re-consent and broad consent in subjects from the Participant Issues Project.

METHODS

A total of 450 participants were recruited from a cancer genetics registry, including cancer patients, their relatives, and controls. Participants completed a secure online survey.

RESULTS

Most participants endorsed re-consent when investigating an unrelated health condition or sharing their de-identified data with an investigator at a different institution. Notification rather than re-consent was preferred when studying a different gene but the same disease. Over 80% of respondents endorsed re-consent when parents of a child gave the original consent and the child has now reached adulthood. Preferences for some scenarios varied by history of cancer at baseline, gender, stage of cancer, or case versus control group. The large majority of participants preferred the option to select broad consent categories of research.

CONCLUSION

Understanding research participants' preferences, including their views on the need for re-consent, are critical to the success of the PMI.

Facilitating a culture of responsible and effective sharing of cancer genome data

Rapid and affordable tumor molecular profiling has led to an explosion of clinical and genomic data poised to enhance the diagnosis, prognostication and treatment of cancer. A critical point has now been reached at which the analysis and storage of annotated clinical and genomic information in unconnected silos will stall the advancement of precision cancer care. Information systems must be harmonized to overcome the multiple technical and logistical barriers to data sharing. Against this backdrop, the Global Alliance for Genomic Health (GA4GH) was established in 2013 to create a common framework that enables responsible, voluntary and secure sharing of clinical and genomic data. This Perspective from the GA4GH Clinical Working Group Cancer Task Team highlights the data-aggregation challenges faced by the field, suggests potential collaborative solutions and describes how GA4GH can catalyze a harmonized data-sharing culture.

Samples and data accessibility in research biobanks: an explorative survey

Biobanks, which contain human biological samples and/or data, provide a crucial contribution to the progress of biomedical research. However, the effective and efficient use of biobank resources depends on their accessibility. In fact, making bio-resources promptly accessible to everybody may increase the benefits for society. Furthermore, optimizing their use and ensuring their quality will promote scientific creativity and, in general, contribute to the progress of bio-medical research. Although this has become a rather common belief, several laboratories are still secretive and continue to withhold samples and data. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey in order to investigate sample and data accessibility in research biobanks operating all over the world. The survey involved a total of 46 biobanks. Most of them gave permission to access their samples (95.7%) and data (85.4%), but free and unconditioned accessibility seemed not to be common practice. The analysis of the guidelines regarding the accessibility to resources of the biobanks that responded to the survey highlights three issues: (i) the request for applicants to explain what they would like to do with the resources requested; (ii) the role of funding, public or private, in the establishment of fruitful collaborations between biobanks and research labs; (iii) the request of co-authorship in order to give access to their data. These results suggest that economic and academic aspects are involved in determining the extent of sample and data sharing stored in biobanks. As a second step of this study, we investigated the reasons behind the high diversity of requirements to access biobank resources. The analysis of informative answers suggested that the different modalities of resource accessibility seem to be largely influenced by both social context and legislation of the countries where the biobanks operate.

Participant views on consent in cancer genetics research: preparing for the precision medicine era

The Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) has created considerable discussions about research participant issues including re-consent and how and when to incorporate the patient experience into clinical trials. Within the changing landscape of genetic and genomic research, the preferences of participants are lacking yet are needed to inform policy. With the growing use of biobanks intended to support studies, including the national research cohort proposed under the PMI, understanding participant preferences, including re-consent, is a pressing concern. The Participant Issues Project (PIP) addresses this gap, and here we present data on participant attitudes regarding re-consent and broad consent in research studies. PIP study participants came from the Northwest Cancer Genetics Registry and included cancer patients, relatives, and controls. Thirty telephone interviews were conducted and analyzed using content and thematic analysis. Results indicate that in some scenarios, re-consent is needed. Most participants agreed that re-consent was necessary when the study direction changed significantly or a child participant became an adult, but not if the genetic variant changed. Most participants' willingness to participate in research would not be affected if the researcher or institution profited or if a broad consent form were used. Participants emphasized re-consent to provide information and control of the use of their data, now relevant for tailored treatment, while also prioritizing research as important. In the era of precision medicine, it is essential that policy makers consider participant preferences with regard to use of their materials and that participants understand genetic and genomic research and its harms and benefits as well as what broad consent entails, including privacy and re-identification risks.

Incidental germline variants in 1000 advanced cancers on a prospective somatic genomic profiling protocol

BACKGROUND

Next-generation sequencing in cancer research may reveal germline variants of clinical significance. We report patient preferences for return of results and the prevalence of incidental pathogenic germline variants (PGVs).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Targeted exome sequencing of 202 genes was carried out in 1000 advanced cancers using tumor and normal DNA in a research laboratory. Pathogenic variants in 18 genes, recommended for return by The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, as well as PALB2, were considered actionable. Patient preferences of return of incidental germline results were collected. Return of results was initiated with genetic counseling and repeat CLIA testing.

RESULTS

Of the 1000 patients who underwent sequencing, 43 had likely PGVs: APC (1), BRCA1 (11), BRCA2 (10), TP53 (10), MSH2 (1), MSH6 (4), PALB2 (2), PTEN (2), TSC2 (1), and RB1 (1). Twenty (47%) of 43 variants were previously known based on clinical genetic testing. Of the 1167 patients who consented for a germline testing protocol, 1157 (99%) desired to be informed of incidental results. Twenty-three previously unrecognized mutations identified in the research environment were confirmed with an orthogonal CLIA platform. All patients approached decided to proceed with formal genetic counseling; in all cases where formal genetic testing was carried out, the germline variant of concern validated with clinical genetic testing.

CONCLUSIONS

In this series, 2.3% patients had previously unrecognized pathogenic germline mutations in 19 cancer-related genes. Thus, genomic sequencing must be accompanied by a plan for return of germline results, in partnership with genetic counseling.

Residents' awareness and attitudes about an ongoing community-based genome cohort study in Nagahama, Japan

This study's objective was to examine residents' attitudes toward and factors associated with an ongoing, real genome cohort study based on a community in Japan. After the genome cohort study's launch in 2007, in November and December 2009, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted with 2500 randomly sampled residents aged 30-74 years, living in Nagahama, Japan. Responses were received from 1363 people (response rate = 54.5%), of whom 187 respondents had already participated in the study. Although the local government and researchers disseminated information through leaflets and citizen-information papers to every household, sent notices by personalized letter, and held symposia and other meetings, 65.7% of males and 47.2% of females first became aware of the study when they received our questionnaire. Among all respondents, 81.2% of those who knew that the genome cohort study had begun and 68.6% of those who did not know had a positive attitude toward the study. Their attitudes were significantly associated with high health consciousness and the desire for an extensive health check-up. Although for males there were no particular negative aspects of the genome study, for females, positive aspects were associated with participating in community activities and desiring an extensive health check-up. Although promoting a community-based genome cohort study requires huge effort, it is essential to popularize it. Actions are vital both for monitoring public awareness and attitudes at a community level and for keeping communication channels open.

Gay and Bisexual Men's Perceptions of the Donation and Use of Human Biological Samples for Research: A Qualitative Study

Human biological samples (biosamples) are increasingly important in diagnosing, treating and measuring the prevalence of illnesses. For the gay and bisexual population, biosample research is particularly important for measuring the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By determining people's understandings of, and attitudes towards, the donation and use of biosamples, researchers can design studies to maximise acceptability and participation. In this study we examine gay and bisexual men's attitudes towards donating biosamples for HIV research. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 46 gay and bisexual men aged between 18 and 63 recruited in commercial gay scene venues in two Scottish cities. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically using the framework approach. Most men interviewed seemed to have given little prior consideration to the issues. Participants were largely supportive of donating tissue for medical research purposes, and often favourable towards samples being stored, reused and shared. Support was often conditional, with common concerns related to: informed consent; the protection of anonymity and confidentiality; the right to withdraw from research; and ownership of samples. Many participants were in favour of the storage and reuse of samples, but expressed concerns related to data security and potential misuse of samples, particularly by commercial organisations. The sensitivity of tissue collection varied between tissue types and collection contexts. Blood, urine, semen and bowel tissue were commonly identified as sensitive, and donating saliva and as unlikely to cause discomfort. To our knowledge, this is the first in-depth study of gay and bisexual men's attitudes towards donating biosamples for HIV research. While most men in this study were supportive of donating tissue for research, some clear areas of concern were identified. We suggest that these minority concerns should be accounted for to develop inclusive, evidence-informed research protocols that balance collective benefits with individual concerns.

IRB practices and policies regarding the secondary research use of biospecimens

BACKGROUND

As sharing and secondary research use of biospecimens increases, IRBs and researchers face the challenge of protecting and respecting donors without comprehensive regulations addressing the human subject protection issues posed by biobanking. Variation in IRB biobanking policies about these issues has not been well documented.

METHODS

This paper reports on data from a survey of IRB Administrative Directors from 60 institutions affiliated with the Clinical and Translation Science Awards (CTSAs) about their policies and practices regarding secondary use and sharing of biospecimens. Specifically, IRB ADs were asked about consent for future use of biospecimens, assignment of risk for studies using biobanked specimens, and sharing of biospecimens/data.

RESULTS

Our data indicate that IRBs take varying approaches to protocol review, risk assessment, and data sharing, especially when specimens are not anonymized.

CONCLUSION

Unclear or divergent policies regarding biospecimen research among IRBs may constitute a barrier to advancing genetic studies and to inter-institutional collaboration, given different institutional requirements for human subjects protections.

Public's attitudes on participation in a biobank for research: an Italian survey

Background

The creation of biobanks depends upon people’s willingness to donate their samples for research purposes and to agree to sample storage. Moreover, biobanks are a public good that requires active participation by all interested stakeholders at every stage of development. Therefore, knowing public’s attitudes towards participation in a biobank and biobank management is important and deserves investigation.

Method

A survey was conducted among family members of patients attending the outpatient department of our institute for a geriatric or neurological visit, documenting their willingness to participate in a biobank and their views on the legal-ethical aspects of biobank management. Information regarding subjects’ attitudes on biomedical research in general and genetic research in particular was also collected. Participants’ data on biobanks were compared with data previously collected from the Italian ethics committees (ECs) to evaluate the extent to which lay people and ethics committees share views and concerns regarding biobanks.

Results

One hundred forty-five subjects took part in the survey. The willingness to give biological samples for the constitution of a biobank set up for research purposes was declared by 86% of subjects and was modulated by subjects’ education. People in favour of providing biological samples for a biobank expressed a more positive view on biomedical research than did people who were not in favour; attitude towards genetic research in dementia was the strongest predictor of participation. Different from ECs that prefer specific consent (52%) and do not choose the option of broad consent (8%) for samples collection in a biobank, participants show a clear preference for broad consent (57%), followed by partially restricted consent (16%), specific consent (15%), and multi-layered consent (12%). Almost all of the subjects available to contribute to a biobank desire to receive both individual research results and research results of general value, while around fifty per cent of ECs require results communication.

Conclusion

Family members showed willingness to participate in a biobank for research and expressed a view on the ethical aspects of a biobank management that differ on several issues from the Italian ECs’ opinion. Laypersons’ views should be taken into account in developing biobank regulations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1472-6939-15-81) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Native Hawaiian views on biobanking

Genomic science represents a new frontier for health research and will provide important tools for personalizing health care. Biospecimen-based research is an important mechanism for expanding the genomic research capacity, and indigenous peoples are a target of biospecimen-based research due to their relative isolation and the potential to discover rare or unique genotypes. This study explored Native Hawaiian perceptions of and expectations for biobanking. Ten discussion groups were conducted with Native Hawaiians (N = 92), who first heard a presentation on biobanking. Six themes emerged: (1) biobank governance by the Native Hawaiian community, (2) research transparency, (3) priority of Native Hawaiian health concerns, (4) leadership by Native Hawaiian scientists accountable to community, (5) re-consenting each time specimen is used, and (6) education of Native Hawaiian communities. Considered together, these findings suggest that biobanking should be guided by six principles that comprise "G.R.E.A.T. Research" (Governance, Re-consent, Education, Accountability, Transparency, Research priorities). These recommendations are being shared with biobanking facilities in Hawai'i as they develop protocols for biobanking participation, governance, and education. These findings also inform researchers and indigenous peoples throughout the world who are working on biobanking and genomic research initiatives in their nations.

Biobank participants' preferences for disclosure of genetic research results: perspectives from the OurGenes, OurHealth, OurCommunity project

OBJECTIVE

To assess biobank participants' preferences for disclosure of genetic research results.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of participants in the OurGenes, OurHealth, OurCommunity biobank. Respondents were surveyed about preferences for disclosure, importance of disclosure, communication of results with practitioners, and sharing of results after respondents' death. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess independent sociodemographic and clinical predictors of disclosure preferences. Data collection occurred from June 6, 2011, to June 25, 2012.

RESULTS

Among 1154 biobank participants, 555 (48%) responded. Most thought that research result disclosure was important (90%). Preference for disclosure varied, depending on availability of disease treatment (90% vs 64%, P<.001), high vs low disease risk (79% vs 66%, P<.001), and serious vs mild disease (83% vs 68%, P<.001). More than half of respondents (57%) preferred disclosure even when there is uncertainty about the results' meaning, and 87% preferred disclosure if the disease is highly heritable. Older age was positively associated with interest in disclosure, whereas female sex, nonwhite race, diabetes mellitus, and depression and/or anxiety were negatively associated with disclosure. More than half of respondents (52%) would want their results returned to their nearest biological relative after death.

CONCLUSIONS

OurGenes biobank participants report strong preferences for disclosure of research results, and most would designate a relative to receive results after death. Participant preferences for serious vs mild disease, high vs low disease risk, and availability of disease treatment differed significantly. Future research should consider family members' preferences for receiving research results from enrolled research participants.

Informed consent for human genetic and genomic studies: a systematic review

As genetic and genomic studies grow in scale, there are ethical concerns related to the collection and use of genetic information. The emergence of large public databases potentially redefine the terms of participation in genetic and genomic research, and suggests the changing application of traditional ethical principles such as privacy or consent. For this study, we wanted to see whether such developments are reflected in the informed consent processes in human genetic and genomic studies. Therefore, we performed a systematic review of the empirical studies that examined informed consent involving large genetic databases in human genetic and genomic studies, grouped the identified issues related to the different stakeholders (including subjects, researchers, and institutional review boards) and discussed the limitations and implications of these findings. Major themes related to the place of bioethical considerations, procured tissues, people involved, process of informed consent and study procedures. Frequently raised issues included confidentiality of participants, documentation of informed consent, public attitudes, future use of participant samples or data, and disclosure of results. Awareness and attention to these bioethical issues as well as assiduousness in managing these concerns in genetic/genomic research would further strengthen and safeguard the rights, safety and well-being of genetic research participants.

Current status, challenges, policies, and bioethics of biobanks

Many biobanks were established as biorepositories for biomedical research, and a number of biobanks were founded in the 1990s. The main aim of the biobank is to store and to maintain biomaterials for studying chronic disease, identifying risk factors of specific diseases, and applying personalized drug therapies. This report provides a review of biobanks, including Korean biobanks and an analysis of sample volumes, regulations, policies, and ethical issues of the biobank. Until now, the top 6 countries according to the number of large-scale biobanks are the United Kingdom, United States, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, and there is one major National Biobank of Korea (NBK) and 17 regional biobanks in Korea. Many countries have regulations and guidelines for the biobanks, and the importance of good management of biobanks is increasing. Meanwhile, according to a first survey of 456 biobank managers in the United States, biobankers are concerned with the underuse of the samples in their repositories, which need to be advertised for researchers. Korea Biobank Network (KBN) project phase II (2013-2015) was also planned for the promotion to use biospecimens in the KBN. The KBN is continuously introducing for researchers to use biospecimens in the biobank. An accreditation process can also be introduced for biobanks to harmonize collections and encourage use of biospecimens in the biobanks. KBN is preparing an on-line application system for the distribution of biospecimens and a biobank accreditation program and is trying to harmonize the biobanks.

Governing International Biobank Collaboration: A Case Study of China Kadoorie Biobank

Population-based biobanks collect donors’ biological samples and associated data, following them over time to study gene–environment interactions as causes of human diseases. International biobank collaboration is envisioned as necessary for a better understanding of causes of morbidity and mortality. However, determining how to govern international biobank collaboration remains challenging due to nations’ heterogeneous ethical and legal frameworks. This article explores how China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB), a China-UK collaborative project, coped with ethical issues, such as informed consent, benefit sharing and community engagement. The CKB case study provides insights into ethical issues and governance challenges for international biobank collaboration. The transformation of biobank research from a localised endeavour to networked, internationalised projects in the context of post-genomic medical research has created a highly challenging constellation for biobank governance. The governance of global collaboration, such as between China and the UK, will depend on developing joint governance protocols based on mutual recognition and respect.

The design and conduct of a community-based registry and biorepository: a focus on cardiometabolic health in Latinos

BACKGROUND

Latinos are disproportionately impacted by obesity and type 2 diabetes but remain underrepresented in biomedical research. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to develop a research registry and biorepository to examine cardiometabolic disease risk in the Latino community of Phoenix, Arizona. The overarching goal was to establish the research infrastructure that would encourage transdisciplinary research regarding the biocultural mechanisms of obesity-related health disparities and facilitate access to this research for the Latino community.

METHODS

Prior to recruitment, key stakeholders from the local Latino community were engaged to develop a broad rapport within the community and seek advice regarding recruitment, enrollment, and follow-up. Self-identified community-dwelling Latinos underwent a comprehensive cardiometabolic health assessment that included anthropometrics, a fasting laboratory panel, and a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test with measures of insulin and glucose to estimate insulin action and secretion. Separate consent was requested for future contact and banking of serum, DNA, and RNA. Research collaborations were sought out based on the cultural and metabolic profile of participants, faculty research agendas, and the potential for generating hypotheses.

RESULTS

A total of 667 participants (20.4% children, and 79.6% adults) were enrolled with 97% consenting to the registry and 94% to banking of samples. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 50% in children and 81% in adults. Nearly 20% of children and more than 45% of the adults exhibited some degree of hyperglycemia. To date, more than 15 research projects have been supported through this infrastructure and have included projects on the molecular biology of insulin resistance to the sociocultural determinants of health behaviors and outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of obesity and cardiometabolic disease risk factors coupled with the overwhelming majority of participants consenting to be re-contacted, highlights the importance of supporting research infrastructure to generate hypotheses about obesity-related health in Latinos. Future studies that stem from the initial project will likely advance the limited understanding regarding the biocultural determinants of health disparities in the Latino community.

High-resolution multiphoton cryomicroscopy

An ultracompact high-resolution multiphoton cryomicroscope with a femtosecond near infrared fiber laser has been utilized to study the cellular autofluorescence during freezing and thawing of cells. Cooling resulted in an increase of the intracellular fluorescence intensity followed by morphological modifications at temperatures below -10 °C, depending on the application of the cryoprotectant DMSO and the cooling rate. Furthermore, fluorescence lifetime imaging revealed an increase of the mean lifetime with a decrease in temperature. Non-destructive, label-free optical biopsies of biomaterial in ice can be obtained with sub-20 mW mean powers.

Genetic data and electronic health records: a discussion of ethical, logistical and technological considerations

Objective

The completion of sequencing the human genome in 2003 has spurred the production and collection of genetic data at ever increasing rates. Genetic data obtained for clinical purposes, as is true for all results of clinical tests, are expected to be included in patients’ medical records. With this explosion of information, questions of what, when, where and how to incorporate genetic data into electronic health records (EHRs) have reached a critical point. In order to answer these questions fully, this paper addresses the ethical, logistical and technological issues involved in incorporating these data into EHRs.

Materials and methods

This paper reviews journal articles, government documents and websites relevant to the ethics, genetics and informatics domains as they pertain to EHRs.

Results and discussion

The authors explore concerns and tasks facing health information technology (HIT) developers at the intersection of ethics, genetics, and technology as applied to EHR development.

Conclusions

By ensuring the efficient and effective incorporation of genetic data into EHRs, HIT developers will play a key role in facilitating the delivery of personalized medicine.

Awareness and interest in biospecimen donation for cancer research: views from gatekeepers and prospective participants in the Latino community

Latinos are one of the fastest-growing population groups in the USA, and are underrepresented in scientific research and even more so in genetic research. The disproportionately lower number of certain subpopulations participating in biomedical research has a significant impact on the representativeness of scientific outcomes. We established a collaboration with scientists at a designated National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center to test the feasibility of community-based approaches for engaging Latinos in biospecimen donation for cancer genomic research. A methods triangulation approach was applied to gain a deeper understanding from the community, that included key informant interviews with Latino community leaders (N = 6), four focus groups (N = 22) with members of the Latino community, and the use of an audience response system within the focus groups to capture quantitative data. Overall, the majority of participants had never participated in biospecimen donation; however, despite being unaware of the biobank, they expressed willingness to participate as a way to help advance research. Themes included: Confusion on what biospecimen donation process entails; Barriers to and incentives for participation; Strategies and locations for reaching the Latino community. Clear communication of the "public good" as it relates to biospecimen donation by healthy/non-patient participants is a less clearly conceptualized message; yet, the significance of delivering this message is important to gaining participation and increasing the diversity of samples available for cancer genomic studies from a broader community context.

Awareness and interest in biospecimen donation for cancer research: views from gatekeepers and prospective participants in the Latino community

Latinos are one of the fastest-growing population groups in the USA, and are underrepresented in scientific research and even more so in genetic research. The disproportionately lower number of certain subpopulations participating in biomedical research has a significant impact on the representativeness of scientific outcomes. We established a collaboration with scientists at a designated National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center to test the feasibility of community-based approaches for engaging Latinos in biospecimen donation for cancer genomic research. A methods triangulation approach was applied to gain a deeper understanding from the community, that included key informant interviews with Latino community leaders (N = 6), four focus groups (N = 22) with members of the Latino community, and the use of an audience response system within the focus groups to capture quantitative data. Overall, the majority of participants had never participated in biospecimen donation; however, despite being unaware of the biobank, they expressed willingness to participate as a way to help advance research. Themes included: Confusion on what biospecimen donation process entails; Barriers to and incentives for participation; Strategies and locations for reaching the Latino community. Clear communication of the "public good" as it relates to biospecimen donation by healthy/non-patient participants is a less clearly conceptualized message; yet, the significance of delivering this message is important to gaining participation and increasing the diversity of samples available for cancer genomic studies from a broader community context.