Establishment and Operation of a New Style Clinical Biobank: The Tohoku University Clinical Biobank

Biobanks are extremely important research platforms that enable the development of diverse medical research projects by providing large numbers of biological samples and associated clinical information. Tohoku University Hospital (TUH) took the initiative to establish the Tohoku University Clinical Biobank (TUCB), which operates in cooperation with the Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo), a population-based biobank. TUCB has been managed by the Advanced Research Center for Innovations in Next-Generation Medicine (INGEM), primarily by cooperation with ToMMo and the Personalized Medical Center (P-MEC) of TUH. TUCB is located on the ToMMo premises and leveraging the high-quality management expertise honed at ToMMo, collects diverse samples from patients undergoing treatment at TUH. By the end of March 2024, 29 clinical departments at TUH have participated. These biospecimens are procured from more than 10,000 participants and informed consent has been obtained by doctors as well as Genomics and Medical Research Coordinators (GMRCs). The collected biospecimens include blood and tissue samples, peripheral blood- and bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells, liquid biopsies, oral samples, mucus samples of gastrointestinal tract, urine, and stool samples. Our repository houses nearly 10,000 tissues, over 120,000 blood samples, and more than 10,000 other sample types. TUCB has shared over 10,000 high-quality biospecimens with various studies. We conduct genome and multi-omics analyses in-house through collaborations with various cross-divisional INGEM groups. TUCB represents a new style of disease-based biobank that collaborates with population-based biobank and analysis departments, plays a crucial role in advancing clinical sciences, and will significantly contribute to the realization of precision medicine.