HIV HGM biobank as a research platform for paediatric infectious diseases and COVID-19 pandemic
Consuegra Irene1,2, Mauleón Elba1,2, José Luis Jiménez1,2,3
1Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Madrid, Spain.
Insights
The HIV HGM BioBank now stores samples from HIV-1, COVID-19, and co-infected patients. This vital resource supports global research into the pandemic
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Research
- Infectious Diseases
- Biobanking
Background:
- COVID-19 emerged in late 2019, with Spain heavily impacted during the first wave.
- The HIV HGM BioBank has been repurposed to address the pandemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the restructuring of the HIV HGM BioBank.
- To highlight its role in collecting and storing samples from HIV-1, COVID-19, and co-infected patients.
- To emphasize its value for global biomedical research.
Main Methods:
- The biobank collects high-quality biological samples from diverse age groups (newborns to elders).
- Associated clinical data is maintained for research purposes.
- The biobank operates as an academic and ethical enterprise, adhering to legal regulations.
Main Results:
- The HIV HGM BioBank now serves as a resource for HIV-1, COVID-19, and co-infected individuals.
- It provides samples and data for research on epidemiology, biology, transmission, and therapies.
- The biobank is crucial for studying the pandemic's biological effects across all age groups.
Conclusions:
- The HIV HGM BioBank has become an essential structure in modern biomedical research.
- It plays a critical role in advancing COVID-19 research.
Aim:
The initial cases of COVID-19 appeared in December 2019 and Spain was one of the most affected countries during the first wave (March to June). Since then, HIV HGM BioBank has been restructured as an established Paediatrics and Adults HIV_COVID-19 BioBank that aims at the long-term storage of samples obtained from not only HIV-1, but also from COVID-19 patients and HIV-1_COVID-19 coinfected patients.
Methods:
HIV HGM BioBank holds high quality biological samples from newborns, children, adolescents and adults with their associated clinical data. Research groups trying to establish large networks focused on research on specific clinical problems in epidemiology, biology, routes of transmission and therapies, are potential users of the clinical samples and of associated data of HIV-1_COVID-19 HGM BioBank.
Results:
The HIV HGM BioBank is an academic and ethical enterprise complying with all the legal regulatory rules to provide service to the society. HIV_COVID-19 HGM BioBank has been repurposed to offer an important resource for global research of COVID-19 in newborns, children, adolescents, adults and elders to study the biological effect of the pandemic.
Conclusion:
Herein, we present a description of how HIV HGM BioBank has rapidly become an indispensable structure in modern biomedical research, including COVID-19 research.
