The first National Heart Failure Biobank (NHFB) in India was inaugurated at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST),Thiruvananthapuram.
About Biobank:
- A biobank is a collection of biological samples (such as blood) and health information.
- It can be used to understand molecular pathways and to improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of diseases.
About National Heart Failure Biobank (NHFB):
- National Heart Failure Biobank(NHFB) is the first heart failure Biobank in the country that would collect blood, biopsies, and clinical data as a guide for future diagnosis and treatment of Heart Failure Patients.
- The biosamples collected by the biobank will include the blood, serum, tissue samples obtained during open-heart surgery and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and genomic DNA collected from heart failure patients.
- The samples will be collected after informed consent from patients who are willing to donate specimens.
- Moreover, the biobank activity will be supervised by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) with a member from the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR).
What was the need for National Heart Failure Biobank (NHFB)?
- Heart failure (HF) is emerging as a major health problem in India, with a reported mortality of nearly 60% at five years, which is higher than many common cancers.
- Hence, there was a need for more research in the field of Heart Failure(HF) and it was in this background that the heart failure biobank was inaugurated.
- This Biobank will help in providing insights into heart diseases and heart failure among Indian children and adults, which are very different from that seen in the West.
- The facility will also be useful for the research and treatment of post-covid heart failure.