Editorial: How Can Genomic Biobanks Provide the Bridge for Implementation of Effective Clinical Therapy?

摘要

While the era of isolated large medical record databases, unsystematic access to and performanceof genetic testing and rising healthcare costs are at hand, we have an opportunity to developsolutions and tools that could unify and harmonize these efforts. Through the implementationof the US Department of Veterans Affairs Million Veterans Program (MVP), with over 700,000voluntarily consented participants allowing blood sampling for a variety of prospective genomictesting, access to medical records, and survey materials, we have unearthed multitudes ofbiobanking-related challenges. Through intellectual partnerships on committees and panels, weshare similar discoveries, and seek common solutions. We turned to Frontiers in an effort to help allinterested in establishing a biobank to share some of their challenges, possible goals and standardsfor unification that might be taken into consideration globally if we are to develop systems thatare truly comparable, translatable, actionable, and most importantly, take into account the ethics,safety, and individuality of the partnering patient.