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GATiB: Genome Austria Tissue Bank (SP3):Highly annotated tissue sample collection
Subproject of: GATiB: Genome Austria Tissue Bank (Koordinationsprojekt, SP1)
- Abstract
- Biobanks containing human biological samples, such as tissues, blood or body fluids as well as related data
are essential resources for the establishment of the function and medical relevance of human genes. Biobanks
containing both high quality normal and diseased human tissues are particularly valuable since they contain
information on the genetic and epigenetic alterations as well as on modification of gene products that caused
a disease and influenced its outcome. Large tissue collections provide insights into the great variability of
human diseases and of responses to medical treatment and, therefore, provide an essential basis for the
advancement of individualized medicine. To date, biobank development worldwide has focused on blood
samples whereas tissue collections have been established in a fragmented manner, resulting in tissue banks
of variable size, composition, standards and with different goals. In recognition of the limitations of the
current stand-alone biobank model, the establishment of international networks of bio(tissue)banks have
been recently assigned a very high strategic priority, not only to cover the emerging demands for such
resources but also to increase efficacy in medical genomics and to reduce research costs
We plan to develop, in an internationally oriented context, one of the largest collections of diseased human
tissues already established at the Medical University of Graz to qualify as an OECD Biological Resource
Centre specifically designed to support the needs of systems biology approaches to human diseases, of drug
discovery, and public health. Since human tissues are a very limited resource and to minimise the
international distribution of human samples, special emphasis will be placed on well-coordinated analysis of
samples, allowing in the future the distribution of high quality tissue-derived data rather than original tissues
themselves. Key components of GATiB will comprise (i) archival tissue samples associated with long-term
follow up and medical data, (ii) prospectively collected tissue and blood samples associated with
standardized information on the patients disease and environmental exposure, (iii) animal models
molecularly validated for their human disease relevance, and (iv) IT-tools supporting sample tracking, data
storage, data mining and protecting sample donor privacy. The development of GATiB will be guided by
experiences obtained from research projects performed in the field of breast cancer and metabolic liver
diseases and by investigation of major biobank projects in Europe, USA, Asia, and Australia. Furthermore
we will carefully consider the social, ethical and political issues related to GATiB to ensure proper
embedding of this important resource at the national and international levels.
- Project Leader:
- Zatloukal Kurt
- Denk Helmut
- Duration:
- 01.05.2006-30.09.2009
- Programme:
- GENAU
- Type of Research
- applied research
- Staff
- Zatloukal K., Project Leader
- Denk H., Project Leader
- Samonigg H., Co-worker
- Trauner M., Co-worker
- MUG Research Units
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- Division of Oncology
- Project partners
-
Institut für Politikwissenschaften, Universität Wien, Austria
Contact person: Univ. Prof. Dr. Herbert Gottweis; -
Universität Wien, Austria
Contact person: Univ. Prof. Dr. Johann Eder;