Types and Uses of Biorepositories and Their Application

As part of your treatment plan, physicians may ask you to agree to have your blood or tissue samples taken and stored to help researchers better understand certain conditions. Scientists call this sample a biorepository. Let’s take a look at exactly what this entails, what types of biorepositories exist, and how research using these repositories can lead to improved treatments and increased understanding of type-1 diabetes mellitus in children at the cellular level.

 

There are two main types of biorepositories: public and private. Public biorepositories are available to any researcher, while private ones can be used only by members. Private biorepositories have a high level of security but might not be as accessible to people who don’t work for that organization or university.

A biorepository is a database that stores biological samples and data (Dentino et al., 2012). Data stored in repositories like these derive from research studies conducted by universities, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies to create treatments for diseases like type 1 diabetes mellitus in children. Scientists then use this data to help them look for specific genes that may be related to type 1 diabetes mellitus in children.

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