HUNT Biosciences – role model for a proposed National Biobank company in Norway
In a report released the 5th of January 2010 the Research Council of Norway (RCN) refers to HUNT Biosciences as a role model for a proposed future national Biobank Company. The report was ordered by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and the Ministry of Health and Care Services.
Large amounts of biological material and patient data has been collected and systemized by Norwegian hospitals, research institutions, and governmental health authorities. It started all the way back in 1943 and has resulted in almost 2000 research based biobanks and close to 200 clinical biobanks by the end of 2009. These biorepositories and associated clinical annotations are believed to comprise a significant potential for development of diagnostics, prognostics and therapeutics in the era of personalized medicine.
HUNT Biosciences holds an exclusive commercial license to the considerable population biobank material collected by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) since 1984. The proposed National Biobank company will probably obtain a similar license for the complete biobank material in Norway comprising millions of samples and corresponding data. HUNT Biosciences is owned by NTNU, the Central Norway Regional Health Authority, and the North Trøndelag County.
HUNT Biosciences is very excited about this latest development, and look forward to share more news regarding the realization of the national Biobank Company.
Further information in Norwegian only:
The proposal made by the National Research Committee (in Norwegian)
News from Aftenposten (in Norwegian)
News from the Functional Genome Platform – FUGE (in Norwegian)
News from the Norwegian science web (in Norwegian)
Notes to editors
The HUNT Study and its associated biobank represent a regional cohort of more than 100.000 individuals and is part of CONOR, the Cohort of Norway. In addition to professionally stored genetic samples, the HUNT Study comprises more than 3000 clinical variables including 800 environmental exposure variables collected since the early 1980s. This unique resource operates as a satellite to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology ( NTNU) in Trondheim and is situated in a new, specially designed National Biobank building with state-of-the-art infrastructure, storing samples from 250 000 CONOR participants. The Norwegian authorities have earned the population’s trust through a well-established framework and rigorous routines for protection of personal information. Based on this trust and the unique system of unambiguous personal identification numbers, the HUNT Study offers integration of biobank data with other national registries on clinical information and medical end-points, as well as genealogical and family linkage information.
Genetics
DNA from about 250.000 individuals (CONOR) and 15.000 RNA samples Immortalized cells for cell line production from 50.000 individuals Genetic expression analysis from tumor biopsies can also be provided from selected HUNT participants.
Phenotype
Precise information on health status and extensive lifestyle data Cross-linkage to local clinical endpoints and national registries: "Medical Birth". "Cause of Death", "Prescription Registry", "Cancer Registry" and other validated clinical endpoint registries on myocardial infarction, venous tromboembolism, stroke and factures based on local hospital records.
Environment
Coverage of more than 800 exposure variables
Prospective information due to long observation period
