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Biobanks - the treasure troves of medicine

Biobanks store neither money nor gold, but human blood, tissue or body fluids. They are innovative storage facilities for samples and data, without which modern research would not be possible. Biobanks help to improve the treatment of certain diseases. The illustrated story shows an example of how precision medicine is used in non-small cell lung cancer.

Mrs
1 | Karin was diagnosed with lung cancer a year ago. Thanks to new types of medication that specifically "switch off" the cancer, she was successfully treated. We explain how this works here.
Cancer tissue
2 | In order to clarify what type of lung cancer she has, some lung tissue and blood was first taken, analysed in detail and molecularly tested.

DNA
3 The doctors discovered that it was a non-small cell lung carcinoma in which a specific gene, the ALK gene, is altered. The gene is therefore excessively active and leads to uncontrolled proliferation of the cancer cells.
Medication
4 With this knowledge, the doctors were able to treat Karin specifically with a drug that blocks the overactivity of the ALK gene. This "stopped" the cancer - a success from research with biosamples.
Drawing
5 | This new approach comes from precision medicine, where numerous biosamples are tested and compared. These samples, which are valuable for research, are stored in biobanks.

Sample
6 | Biobanks are the treasure troves of science. Millions of samples are stored there, which can be used to identify biomarkers that lead to new therapies - as was the case with Karin's lung cancer.

Doctors and patient
7 | Karin was asked by her doctor during the treatment whether she would donate the remaining tissue from the examination for research.

Samples
8 | Karin didn't have to think twice. Her tissue is now stored in a biobank and helps scientists to develop new and ever better therapies.

Scientists:inside
9 | Precision medicine offers great opportunities for ever better, more precise medicine. Today, around 30 per cent of lung cancers are already tested at the molecular level and treated in a targeted manner. And the trend is rising!

With her sample donation, Karin has made an important contribution to the progress of medicine.