The uniqueness of biobanks for neurological and psychiatric diseases: potentials and pitfalls

Central nervous system (CNS) biobanks are facing difficult and specific challenges due to the sensitive issue of collecting specimens of the CNS, and especially the brain. At present, there is no global network/central database to serve researchers, clinicians and pharma companies, or to supply the special specimens and the accompanying data in sufficient numbers and detail, respectively. The main challenge/objective is to standardize and harmonize all the facets involved in CNS biobanking in order to maximize efficient sample collection.

Since the number of CNS biospecimens stored in existing biobanks is relatively limited and the accompanying data are not always readily available and hard to identify, we propose using optimal procedures for handling and storage of these specimens, and the global standardization of the cliniconeuropathological diagnostic criteria.

One of the prominent achievements of the current global activity in brain tissue biobanks (BTB-banks) is the development of an inventory of international standards, available specimens and concomitant data, and national registries.

Taking into consideration the huge variety of the specimens stored in different repositories and the enormous differences in medicolegal systems and ethics regulations in different countries, we strongly recommend that healthcare systems and institutions who host BTB-banks make efforts to secure adequate funding for the infrastructure and daily activities. BTB-banks will refine standard operating procedures and their internal guides of best practices/codes of conduct. This in turn will enable the BTB-banks to share the collected specimens and data with the largest possible number of researchers, aiming at maximal scientific spin-off and advance of public health research.