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Updated: May 6, 2026
07:50
Establishment of a Clinic-based Biorepository
Published on: May 29, 2017
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Disrupting the biospecimen "treasure trove": Practice, precedent, and future directions.
Leslie E Wolf1,2, Samantha Kench3,4, Marielle Gross5,6,7,8
1Georgia State University College of Law and School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|August 21, 2025
Summary
Decentralized biobanking empowers individuals by reconnecting them to their biological specimens. This approach democratizes control over personal health data, fostering greater patient engagement.
Area of Science:
- Biobanking
- Genomics
- Personalized Medicine
Background:
- Traditional biobanking models often create a disconnect between individuals and their biological samples.
- Limited patient access and control over stored specimens hinder research participation and data utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of decentralized biobanking models.
- To investigate mechanisms for reconnecting individuals with their biological specimens.
- To assess the feasibility of democratizing data ownership in biobanking.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing decentralized biobanking initiatives and technologies.
- Analysis of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies for specimen tracking.
- Examination of ethical and regulatory frameworks for patient-controlled data.
Main Results:
- Decentralized models can facilitate direct individual engagement with their bio-samples.
- Technological solutions exist to ensure secure and transparent specimen management.
- Democratizing data ownership is achievable through innovative governance structures.
Conclusions:
- Decentralized biobanking offers a transformative approach to sample and data management.
- Empowering individuals with ownership enhances trust and participation in biomedical research.
- This paradigm shift supports precision medicine and patient-centric healthcare.
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