BIOBANKS, AN INTEGRAL PERSPECTIVE ON ITS IMPORTANCE IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
Alicia Armentia*, María San Miguel, Angel San Miguel, Sara Martín, Blanca Martín, Jose Antonio Garrote
ABSTRACT
The importance of biobanks in medicine is reviewed and challenges associated with their establishment and operation are discussed. The need for well-organized biobanks that store biological samples and clinical data to facilitate translational research and personalization of medical care is discussed. Likewise, the ethical, legal and technical aspects related to biobanks are reviewed, as well as the benefits and limitations of their use. Opportunities and challenges in biobank management are highlighted, such as obtaining informed consent, guaranteeing donor confidentiality and privacy, and implementing quality standards in sample collection, processing, and storage. Biobanks play a crucial role in biomedical research and precision medicine. These repositories of biological samples and clinical data allow advances in the knowledge of various diseases, facilitate the identification of biomarkers, support the development of more precise therapies and contribute to the personalization of medical care. Therefore, they are valuable resources for research and medicine, and their proper functioning requires the implementation of quality standards, ethical and legal considerations, as well as active collaboration between different institutions and biobanks.
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