'Biohoarding': treasures not seen, stories not told

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Research
• Health Services Research
• Biobanking Ethics

Background:

• Biobanks are critical resources for medical research and improving health services.
• A significant concern exists that biobanks are not meeting their potential research and health service outcomes.
• The current practice resembles 'biohoarding,' prioritizing sample quantity over research utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the root causes of underperformance in biobanking.
• To critique the prevailing model of biobanking as 'biohoarding.'
• To propose a shift in focus towards knowledge generation within biobanking initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of biobanking practices and motivations.
• Ethical and policy review of biobanking objectives.
• Literature review on biobank outcomes and research impact.

Main Results:

• The primary issue stems from an ideological and motivational confusion regarding the purpose of tissue collection.
• Biobanks are often valued for the quantity of samples ('biohoarding') rather than the knowledge they generate.
• The focus has shifted away from the essential goal of advancing scientific understanding.

Conclusions:

• The failure of biobanks to achieve expected outcomes is linked to a misdirection from knowledge gain to sample accumulation.
• Addressing 'biohoarding' requires a reorientation of biobanking's fundamental purpose towards research and discovery.
• Policy makers hold the primary responsibility for rectifying this issue and ensuring biobanks fulfill their research potential.