Biobank

Introduction

The IGTP-HUGTP Biobank is a non-profit making public institution. It holds several collections of biological samples and works within the hospital system regarding ethical and legal regulation. Its mission is to promote research along the supply chain from basic to translational by providing access to the scientific community to samples and associated data.

The Biobank was authorized by the Department of Health of the Generalitat of Catalonia on 15 April 2013 and subsequently it was registered with the Spanish National Register of Biobanks at the Instituto Carlos III (B.0000643), this guarantees traceability, quality and safety for the data, processes and samples.

IGTP-HUGTP Biobanc forms part of the Catalan Network of Biobanks and part of the National Network of Biobanks, which is a stable network for scientific cooperation co-financed by the Instituto Carlos III as an initiative of the National Health System (SNS).

Leaflet on IGTP-HUGTP Biobanc

Objectives

The objective of the Biobank is to promote biomedical research by obtaining, storing and providing samples of tissue, fluids and/or their derived biological products in optimal conditions and within the legal framework currently in force.We can define the following specific objectives:

  • Obtain and maintain samples of scientific interest (from healthy donors, rare diseases, common pathologies)
  • Facilitate access to samples and data for scientists, while guaranteeing the meeting of scientific and ethical requirements
  • Provide technical support services to research groups and hospital services that require them
  • Promote the integration and harmonization of sample collecting
  • Actively help the creation of collections in the area of healthcare, especially if they can have a future use for research, protecting the rights and maintaining healthcare priorities of the donor
  • Guarantee the rights of donors, such as protecting dignity, identity and treatment of personal data
  • Train and educate about research and the legal requirements of handling research samples in the research and hospital environments

Tumour Bank

One of the most important resources for the study of cancer is tumour tissue and control tissue without tumours.  The principal important objective of the Tumour Bank is to obtain and store these samples to make them available to researchers who work to improve the diagnostics, prognostics, prevention and treatment of cancer.

The Tumour Bank was created in 2002 and it works within the organizational and quality criteria of the Network of Tumour Banks of Catalonia, of which it forms part.  The material stored in the Tumour Bank includes a great variety of frozen samples and paraffin blocks of many types of neoplasias such as lymphoma, carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and metastasis.