The Andalusian Health Biobank actively participates in a European project of 80 million euros
It manages more than 172,000 samples within the framework of this research work, called 3TR, in which 69 institutions from 15 countries participate
The Biobank of the Public Health System of Andalusia is a key piece in the development of biomedical R&D in public health.tido, and beyond its work in other facets such as training or preserving samples, plays a prominent role in the research projects that are developed within the Andalusian health system.
Specifically, the Biobank Coordinator Node, located in Granada, actively participates in a European research project in which 69 institutions are presentis from 15 countries. 3TR, which is the name of the study, has a budget of 80 million euros and is led by Marta Alarcón-Riquelme, a researcher at the Fundación Progreso y Salud and scientific director of the Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucía de Genómica e Investigación Oncológica (GENYO), in Granada.
Within the framework of this project, the Biobank isnload of logistics for obtaining and storing biological samples at the request of the corresponding centers involved in this research work. Thus, to date, it has managed and stored more than 172,000 samples from more than 2,400 donations from patients with inflammatory and allergic autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosusmultiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; pathologies that are the subject of this project. These figures represent 25% of what is expected to be managed throughout the project.
From the Biobank, and as a starting point, the kits are prepared with the materialnecessary for the collection, processing and preservation of the biological samples related to this project. Depending on the type of sample to be processed, the necessary material labeled with a unique coding pre-assigned by the Biobank information system is sent and, once the centers collect the samples, they return to the Biobank for storage and preservationat a temperature ranging between -80ºC or -196ºC, depending on the needs.
The participation of this research structure is essential to support the development of projects in the field of public health in Andalusia that seek to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of diseases, thereby improving the quality of life ofpatients.
The largest immunology project
3TR, is the largest Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 (IMI2) Immunology project to improve the management of non-responders to therapy in seven immune-mediated diseases.
This large-scale public-private research initiative will providenew insights into response mechanisms and non-response to treatment through integrated and cross-analysis of advanced profiling technologies.
Autoimmune, inflammatory and allergic diseases are common chronic pathologies that significantly affect the well-being of millions of people around the world and represent an effort important for health systems. Although different treatments are available, the response and progression of the disease in individual patients remains unpredictable. At present, very little is still known about the molecular basis that underpins these diseases. Thus, in order to better predict the response to treatment and potentially identify new biomarkersores that lead to better patient management and personalized treatment, a deeper understanding of the cellular mechanisms that drive disease development is urgently needed.