The patient associations participating in the forum “Advancing in Research”, organized by the Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL), visited the Valdecilla Biobank to learn first-hand about the operation of this scientific platform, its key role in the development of biomedical projects in Cantabria, and how biological samples are managed to advance the study of numerous diseases.
During the visit, participants were welcomed by María José Marín, Scientific Director of the Biobank, who explained the role of this infrastructure in research and its integration into the Biomodels and Biobanks Platform of the Carlos III Health Institute, a structure that coordinates different biobanks in Spain under common protocols that ensure the quality and comparability of samples. This platform is also part of the European Biobanking Infrastructure (BBMRI-ERIC), whose goal is to facilitate access to high-quality biological resources and data to boost biomedical research in Europe.
“We all work with the same protocols, so that the sples processed here have the same quality conditions as those processed in other biobanks across the country,” Marín explained. This standardization facilitates the integration of samples obtained in Cantabria with those from other national and European centers—something especially important in the study of rare diseases, where the number of available cases is limited.
She explained that the Valdecilla Biobank is organized into two nodes. On one hand, the DNA and Fluids Node, where samples such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or urine, among others, are processed and stored. On the other hand, the Solid Samples Node, located in the Pathology Department of the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, which mainly manages surplus tissue from clinical diagnoses. All samples included in the biobank have the prior consent of the patients.
Strict ethical and scientific controls
Marín emphasized that the use of these samples is subject to strict ethical and scientific controls. Researchers requesting them must submit a project approved by an ethics committee and preferably have scientific funding. Only then does the Biobank assess the availability of samples and request authorization from its scientific and ethical committees for their release.
In addition, researchers sign an agreement with the biobank committing to use the samples exclusively for the approved project, not to share them with third parties, and to return or destroy any remaining material once the study is completed. They must also report on the use of the samples and acknowledge the Biobank in resulting scientific publications, which allows the scientific impact of this infrastructure to be evaluated. “The goal is to ensure that each donated sample is used responsibly, safely, and efficiently to generate knowledge,” she noted.
The visit concluded with a tour of the laboratory facilities, where attendees were able to learn about the processes of receiving, processing, and storing samples.
