Annual Report 2022
THL Biobank is part of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and aims to promote the utilisation of nationally significant research data in disease prevention and health promotion. In 2022, THL Biobank has samples and data collected from nearly 235,000 sample donors in 31 different research projects.
In April, THL Biobank received a new Director, Tiina Wahlfors, who transferred from her previous role in THL’s RDI activity and support team after Sirpa Soini moved on to become the Director of Department of Knowledge Brokers in THL in early 2022. Tiina has many years of experience in biobank activities, including work at the Blood Service Biobank and Valvira.
Director of THL Biobank, Tiina Wahlfors.
THL Biobank projects and use of samples and data in 2022
In 2022, THL Biobank received nearly 80 enquiries or feasibility requests on the availability and suitability of samples and data for different projects. A total of 39 biobank applications were processed. THL Biobank had 45 ongoing projects in 2022, of which 9 had started during the year. The total number of applications started to rise slightly in 2022.
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary enquiries received | * | * | * | * | 35 | 68 | 67 | 76 |
| Applications received | 23 | 52 | 44 | 41 | 38 | 23 | 20 | 39 |
| Approved new applications | 21 | 34 | 21 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14** |
| Approved amendment applications | - | 8 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 6** |
| Rejected applications | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1** |
| New projects launched | 18 | 31 | 18 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 9** |
* Statistics for preliminary information requests were not compiled systematically before 2019.
** Some applications received in 2022 are still pending, so the figures given are not final.
In 2022, a total of 17 research studies received access to a total of 103 data sets, while 21 sets of samples were released for use by 3 studies. Indeed, the majority of materials released by THL Biobank contain only data, as a large amount of measurement data and other types of information has been collected in the biobank over the years.
See what kind of studies biobank materials were released for
Read the latest publications produced from biobank studies
THL Biobank’s single largest project in 2022 was the FinnGen project. FinnGen was launched in 2017 as a broad, six-year public-private partnership study. The aim of the project is to better understand disease mechanisms by combining genome and health data from as many as 500,000 Finns. The THL Biobank laboratory is responsible for the sample logistics for the entire project. Nearly 89,000 samples from THL Biobank and other Finnish biobanks were processed for the FinnGen project this year. The genome data produced in the FinnGen project will be returned to biobanks for use in other biobank studies. In 2022, the genomic data produced in the project was returned to THL Biobank for nearly 19,000 sample donors, raising the total amount of genomic resources produced by FinnGen to over 150,000 in THL Biobank.
Read more about the FinnGen study on the project’s website
In January 2023, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare launched the new national health survey, Healthy Finland, which will continue THL’s long tradition of population studies. THL Biobank has been actively involved in the planning of the implementation of the project, especially in relation to sample collection. 10,000 people are invited for a detailed health examination, in which the participants provide a significant amount of different biological samples. Biobank consent is also requested from the participants, and the samples of those who give their consent are added to THL Biobank’s collections.
Read more about the THL's Healthy Finland Survey
The biobank sample donors who have consented to be contacted in future also received invitations from THL Biobank to participate in new studies. In 2022, Invitations were sent for three new studies to a total of 143 individuals, who were selected as suitable candidates for the studies based on their data that had been previously stored in the biobank. These new studies examined the metabolism of dietary fatty acids, the effect of genetics on the remodelling of liver fats, and the prevalence of aneurysms in female smokers aged 50–60.
Enrichment of THL biobank data
In 2022, the comprehensive diabetes research data stored in THL Biobank was further enriched through the addition of the extensive data from FUSION Study. The research data was collected in 1993–2014 and its purpose is to map genetic factors that predispose adults to type 2 diabetes and its early stages. As well as now having the data available in the biobank, the original FUSION Study is still active and ongoing. As a result of the transfer of the FUSION Study material, a total of 14,688 sample donors were registered to THL Biobank, and the materials made available for research use included DNA, plasma, serum and cell samples in addition to the extensive research data.
Read more about the FUSION Study
THL Biobank also received in 2022 research results produced in various biobank projects. The largest intestinal microbiome data set available in Finnish biobanks – which was produced from the faecal samples of 7200 FINRISK 2002 participants through Finnish-American cooperation – is now available from the THL Biobank for use in other biobank studies. In addition, Nightingale Health’s extensive biomarker analyses produced from THL Biobank's serum samples using NMR were returned to the biobank in their updated form for use in other biobank studies.
Read more about the microbiome data set
Development projects and quality work at THL Biobank
One of the largest development projects in 2022 was the introduction of the ePouta service maintained by CSC for the management of THL Biobank’s genomic data. From now on, all THL genome data will be stored and analysed in ePouta. Separate protocols have been set up for the processing of genome data for customer project needs in relation to both polygenic risk scores (PRS) and genome-wide GWAS analyses.
In quality work, the focus has been on the areas for development identified by Fimea in the inspection carried out in 2021 and, for example, the introduction of a quality assurance protocol for phenotype data.
Cooperation in biobank networks
THL Biobank continued to be actively involved in the activities of the Finnish Biobank Cooperative FINBB, especially within its various working groups. In addition to developing Finland's biobank infrastructure, the aim of FINBB cooperation is to promote the visibility and accessibility of THL Biobank data through the Fingenious® service maintained by FINBB. In 2022, the Fingenious service launched a cohort catalogue for researchers. THL Biobank was actively involved in its development work. The Cohorts application has also made THL’s research materials more visible and enables applications to be submitted via FINBB.
Finnish Biobank Cooperative FINBB
Read more about the Cohorts application in the Fingenious service
THL Biobank also participated in international projects aimed at developing biobank activities, such as the updating of the MIABIS biobank terminology led by BBMRI-ERIC CS-IT and the planning work for updating the MIABIS terminology for Data, Imaging and Omics. In addition, THL Biobank follows the activities of The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH).
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