CURRENT BEST PRACTICES AND BIOBANKING RECOMMENDATIONS

Abstract

The biobank is a structure established with the goal of long-term responsible storage of biological samples and the associated data for their further use in scientific and clinical research. The objectives of biobanking are the creation of unified recommendations on: the planning of premises and the selection of equipment for storage; development of management methods and staff training; standardization of methods for the collection, shipping, processing and storage of biomaterial of various origins, as well as methods for quality control and validation of the applied methods; creation and use of databases of information accompanying biospecimens. The lack of common standards for conducting the preanalytical phase has been the cause of low accuracy and poor reproducibility of research results. To date, a large number of guidelines and best practices have been published that provide an answer to a wide range of problems in organizing the biobanking process. The article provides an overview of the most famous biobanking guidelines that can be used to solve various research problems. Biobanking in Russia is actively developing. Since 1996 there is a work on the legislative regulation of biobanking activities, as a result of which a number of regulatory documents have been issued. An important stage in the development of biobanking in Russia was the establishment of the “National Association of Biobanks and Biobanking Specialists” (NASBio) in 2018, which included representatives of medical and research institutions, commercial firms, and qualified specialists in the field of biobanking. One of the key tasks of NASBio is the adaptation and implementation of the best biobanking practices in Russian research institutes and centers. The use of modern guidelines and best practices on biobanking will lead to an increase in the quality of research and publications.