A vital resource linking leading hospitals and Trinity College Dublin is playing a crucial role in advancing medical research that directly impacts patient care. The Trinity St James’s Biobank Network (TSBN) serves as a cornerstone for health research, bringing together samples and data donated by patients to help researchers better understand diseases and develop new treatments.
The network represents biobanks located across several major Dublin hospitals, including St James’s Hospital, The Coombe Women’s & Infants University Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin, and Beaumont Hospital, alongside Trinity College Dublin. Its primary purpose is to provide a forum for education, co-ordination, and policy generation regarding biobanking and associated activities across these sites. Crucially, the patient voice is deeply embedded within the network's structure.
So, what exactly is a biobank? It's a facility that collects samples such as tissue, blood, or other bodily fluids, alongside healthcare data from hospital charts, including information about a patient's condition, test results, and scans. These donations are voluntarily given by people specifically for the purpose of health research.
The impact on patients is significant. By having samples and data readily available, researchers can learn more about different diseases, leading to a deeper understanding. This understanding is key to developing better diagnostic tests and improved treatments, ultimately aiming for a better quality of life for those living with illnesses. The existence of biobanks can also help speed up the research process, potentially making new treatments and tests available more quickly.
Participation in a biobank is entirely voluntary, and samples are only collected with a patient’s written consent. A decision not to join the biobank will not affect a patient's medical treatment in any way. Patient privacy is a priority; information that could identify an individual is removed and replaced with a unique code to protect their identity. All research studies using biobank resources must receive approval to ensure they are conducted ethically and safely, patient rights are protected, and data protection regulations are met.
For those interested in participating, detailed information is available on a dedicated webpage explaining what a biobank is. The network also provides resources for the scientific community and links to medical and scientific leads for further information. The TSBN highlights various areas of research supported by biobanks, including different types of cancer such as gastrointestinal, lung, blood, breast, and gynaecological cancers, as well as conditions like vasculitis.
Through the structured and ethical collection of vital biological samples and data, the Trinity St James’s Biobank Network is an essential resource, empowering researchers to make discoveries that promise real benefits for patients both now and in the future. The following biobank are associated with or part of the biobank network's activities
Gastrointestinal cancer biobank
Lung cancer biobank
Blood cancer biobank
Breast cancer biobank
Gynaecological cancer biobank
National Irish COVID Biobank
RITA-Ireland Vasculitis Registry and Biobank
For more information visit the website
