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Importance and Applications of Fresh Cancer Tissue Samples for Biomedical Research
Before researchers delved into the in vitro manipulation of fresh tissues, biospecimens were collected and stored in biorepositories for an indefinite period of time. To make this long-term storage possible, biosamples needed to be preserved. Although these methods are still needed and used, the expansion of innovative biomedical research has reshaped the static nature of…
Read MoreHow Medical Professionals Support Biospecimen Procurement?
While being essential for innovative drug discovery, the biospecimen procurement process is complex and not well understood even by some of its key players – the medical and clinical professionals. As our actions are closely reliant on efficient communication with our clinical partners, we prepared this graphical representation highlighting the main topics that appear unclear…
Read MoreDiscovery, Validation and Use of Cancer Biomarkers — Current Trends and Obstacles
When we speak about the role of biospecimens in the advancement of personalized precision medicine, we can’t avoid the topic of biomarkers. The term biomarker indicates a molecular signature (DNA, RNA, protein, lipid, metabolite) that can be objectively measured. Its levels are an indication of a normal physiological process, an abnormal pathological condition, or a…
Read MoreThe Biobanking Space Is Attracting Investors and Media Interest
In about three and half months after launching a crowdfunding campaign on MicroVentures.com, an Austin, TX-based online equity crowdfunding platform, investments in Audubon Bioscience total nearly $220,000 from over 440 investors. The success of the crowdfunding campaign is a strong demonstration of the recognition the biobanking space is gaining as a key component for today’s…
Read MoreMedical Staff’s Role in Biospecimen Procurement
Biospecimens are being largely recognized as a crucial element for developing biomarker-based, targeted therapies and diagnostics. While essential to biomedical research advancement, biospecimen procurement is also a complex process involving the well-coordinated efforts of various players 1,2. This multiplayer nature of biobanking creates a certain degree of disconnection and often leaves the different parties with…
Read MoreWhat is Biobanking? An Overview of a Fast-Growing Field
Novel therapies are moving away from the “one size fits all” concept and are working towards a patient-tailored precision therapy approach 1. Since this transition relies on patient-derived biosamples, it has strongly reshaped the field of biobanking and biospecimens procurement 2,3. The importance of studying both liquid and solid human bioproducts lies within the samples’…
Read MoreThe Universe Within a Blood Tube – Peripheral Blood and Its Components
The term peripheral blood corresponds to all the blood circulating through the body’s blood vessel system and not concentrated within a specific organ (e.g. liver, spleen). While peripheral blood analysis is a classic routine in clinical healthcare practice, its vast number of molecules and cellular components and the relatively easy and non-invasive collection method make…
Read MoreFFPEs or Frozen Tissue – How to Choose Between Their Pros and Cons?
Following biopsy analysis, preserved tissue samples are usually collected in hospital-associated biobanks, research centers, or private companies supporting biomedical research. Such human-derived biospecimens display unique storage capacities for disease-relevant molecular information. Therefore, they are an invaluable source not only for patients diagnosis and choice of treatment but also for the advancement of innovative biomedical…
Read More5 Good Practices for Handling Blood Samples
While peripheral blood and its precious sub-components are gaining growing attention from the biomedical research field, an increasing body of evidence 1,2 shows that even small changes in the pre-analytical conditions may affect sample quality and integrity. These observations drive the urgent need for establishing good practices and unified protocols for blood sample collection,…
Read MoreHow to Choose a Trustworthy Biospecimen Provider?
The vast majority of innovative drugs and therapies depend on real-life evidence extracted from Human Biological Specimens (HBS) and their associated data 1. As a result, significant changes started reshaping the biobanking and biospecimen procurement field, making HBS-dependent studies no longer restricted to hospitals or biobank-associated institutes. Today, the continuously growing private sector can…
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