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Biobank for Translational Medicine: Standard Operating Procedures for Optimal Sample Management
Published on: November 30, 2022
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Stewardship practices of U.S. biobanks
Gail E Henderson1, Teresa P Edwards, R Jean Cadigan
1Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Science Translational Medicine
|December 17, 2013
Summary
Most biobanks practice specimen stewardship for storage and sharing, but few build ongoing relationships with contributors. Guidance is needed to balance contributor respect with research facilitation in biobanking governance.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Science
- Biobanking Governance
- Research Ethics
Background:
- Biobanks face ethical and regulatory challenges requiring novel governance models.
- Specimen stewardship throughout the life course is a proposed governance approach.
- Understanding current biobank practices is crucial for developing effective stewardship models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether and how U.S. biobanks practice specimen stewardship.
- To assess the current state of biobank specimen management and contributor engagement.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 456 U.S. biobank managers.
- Analysis of stewardship practices related to specimen storage and sharing.
- Assessment of relationships between biobanks and specimen contributors.
Main Results:
- Most surveyed biobanks engage in stewardship concerning specimen storage and sharing.
- A majority of biobanks do not establish ongoing relationships with their contributors.
- Practices vary, indicating a need for standardized stewardship guidelines.
Conclusions:
- Biobanks predominantly practice operational stewardship but lack robust contributor engagement strategies.
- Developing clear guidance for biobank stewardship is essential.
- Future models should integrate ethical considerations and respect for contributors while promoting research.
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