Clinical Epidemiology (Feb 2023)

A Review of Major Danish Biobanks: Advantages and Possibilities of Health Research in Denmark

  • Laugesen K,
  • Mengel-From J,
  • Christensen K,
  • Olsen J,
  • Hougaard DM,
  • Boding L,
  • Olsen A,
  • Erikstrup C,
  • Hetland ML,
  • Høgdall E,
  • Kjaergaard AD,
  • Sørensen E,
  • Brügmann A,
  • Petersen ERB,
  • Brandslund I,
  • Nordestgaard BG,
  • Jensen GB,
  • Skajaa N,
  • Troelsen FS,
  • Fuglsang CH,
  • Svingel LS,
  • Sørensen HT

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 15
pp. 213 – 239

Abstract

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Kristina Laugesen,1 Jonas Mengel-From,2,3 Kaare Christensen,2– 4 Jørn Olsen,1 David M Hougaard,5,6 Lasse Boding,7 Anja Olsen,8,9 Christian Erikstrup,10 Merete Lund Hetland,11,12 Estrid Høgdall,12,13 Alisa D Kjaergaard,14 Erik Sørensen,15 Anja Brügmann,16 Eva Rabing Brix Petersen,17 Ivan Brandslund,17,18 Børge G Nordestgaard,19 Gorm B Jensen,20 Nils Skajaa,1 Frederikke Schønfeldt Troelsen,1 Cecilia Hvitfeldt Fuglsang,1 Lise Skovgaard Svingel,1 Henrik T Sørensen1 1Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital and Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; 2Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, the Danish Twin Registry, and the Danish Aging Research Center, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; 3Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; 4Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; 5iPSYCH, Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Aarhus, Denmark; 6Center for Neonatal Screening, Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark; 7The Danish National Biobank, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark; 8Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark; 9Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; 10Department of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; 11The DANBIO Registry and Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research (COPECARE), Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark; 12Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark; 13Bio- and GenomeBank Denmark (RBGB), Molecular Unit, Department of Pathology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark; 14Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 15Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark; 16Department of Pathology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark; 17Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; 18Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; 19The Copenhagen General Population Study, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital – Herlev Gentofte, University of Copenhagen, Herlev, Denmark; 20The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Frederiksberg and Bispebjerg Hospital, Frederiksberg, DenmarkCorrespondence: Kristina Laugesen, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Allé 43-45, Aarhus, 8200, Denmark, Tel +45 871 68063, Email [email protected]: Biobank research may lead to an improved understanding of disease etiology and advance personalized medicine. Denmark (population ~5.9 million) provides a unique setting for population-based health research. The country is a rich source of biobanks and the universal, tax-funded healthcare system delivers routinely collected data to numerous registries and databases. By virtue of the civil registration number (assigned uniquely to all Danish citizens), biological specimens stored in biobanks can be combined with clinical and demographic data from these population-based health registries and databases. In this review, we aim to provide an understanding of advantages and possibilities of biobank research in Denmark. As knowledge about the Danish setting is needed to grasp the full potential, we first introduce the Danish healthcare system, the Civil Registration System, the population-based registries, and the interface with biobanks. We then describe the biobank infrastructures, comprising the Danish National Biobank Initiative, the Bio- and Genome Bank Denmark, and the Danish National Genome Center. Further, we briefly provide an overview of fourteen selected biobanks, including: The Danish Newborn Screening Biobank; The Danish National Birth Cohort; The Danish Twin Registry Biobank; Diet, Cancer and Health; Diet, Cancer and Health – Next generations; Danish Centre for Strategic Research in Type 2 Diabetes; Vejle Diabetes Biobank; The Copenhagen Hospital Biobank; The Copenhagen City Heart Study; The Copenhagen General Population Study; The Danish Cancer Biobank; The Danish Rheumatological Biobank; The Danish Blood Donor Study; and The Danish Pathology Databank. Last, we inform on practical aspects, such as data access, and discuss future implications.Keywords: biobank, research, healthcare system, registries, epidemiology, precision medicine

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