Platform Committee: Celso Arango (Coordinator), Lourdes Fañanás, Julio Sanjuán and Javier Meana.
The CIBERSAM’s collection of DNA samples is a service platform created with the aim of managing collections of DNA samples representing the Spanish population with mental disorders in order to make these available to research groups, ensuring that rational, effective, ethical and legal use is made of these, as well as guaranteeing compliance of donors’ rights.
The collections of which this platform consists are registered in the National Register of Biobanks of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and according to their Operating Protocol and Quality Management System incorporate national and international ethical rules in their operation and guarantee the quality of the samples in their safekeeping as well as the data associated with these at all times. All the DNA samples are encoded to protect the donor’s identity and so that any researchers working with these or their data cannot identify them. All the samples likewise have the relevant informed consent document signed by the donor so that their samples can be used in biomedical research projects, while being entitled to revoke this authorisation at any time.
The collection seeks to be an international reference as regards both the technical procedures used for extraction, storage and management of its DNA samples, and in upholding ethical conditions and fulfilling the legal requisites stemming from the use of biological samples.
The DNA collection platform has a central structure in which all the samples are stored. The platform cooperates with CIBERSAM groups, which provide the samples that make up the different collections forming this. Each of the collections in this platform has a Principal Investigator (PI) responsible for this. The aim pursued is not only to keep a collection of genetic material representing persons with mental disorders, but to include the detailed clinical data available to the different groups owning the collections with this information, for accurately defining the donors’ clinical condition, with the aim of being able to make a precise profile of the samples that may be analysed in each case. In many instances other data on these cases is available such as neuroimaging, treatments, different biomarkers, etc..
Since it was set up the number of samples has gradually risen, and there are now over 20,000 samples, provided by a total number of 21 groups from the CIBERSAM and some groups outside this which have samples taken from people with mental disorders.
For any further information kindly get in touch with José Javier Suárez ([email protected]) or with the Coordinator of this platform’s committee: Celso Arango ([email protected]).
