UK Biobank is an extensive biomedical database and research resource. It contains in-depth genetic and health information from 500 000 UK subjects, comprising a wealth of basic structured data, high-throughput genomic and genetic data, and multimodal imaging data. However, difficulties in accessing the large amount of data mean that the database has not been widely used in China. We first introduced the health-related structural data, genetic data, and imaging data in the UK Biobank. We then described methods for using different types of data downloaded from UK Biobank, and explored recent research based on these data. We also discussed classic research focusing on applying artificial intelligence technology to UK Biobank data. Finally, we predicted future research trends in the utilization of UK Biobank data in areas such as anatomy, physiology, genetic variation, and phenotypic characteristics.
Biobank is an important platform for translational medicine, precision medicine and drug development. In the past 10 years, although the construction of biobank in China has made great progress, it still faces many challenges. This article analyzes the key issues and also puts forward specific suggestions in the management of biobank from the aspects of ethics issues, quality control of biospecimens, information management, sample and data sharing, so as to provide reference for the construction and development of a high standard biobank.
UK Biobank (UKB) is a forward-looking epidemiological project with over 500, 000 people aged 40 to 69, whose image extension project plans to re-invite 100, 000 participants from UKB to perform multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging. Large-scale multimodal neuroimaging combined with large amounts of phenotypic and genetic data provides great resources to conduct brain health-related research. This article provides an in-depth overview of UKB in the field of neuroimaging. Firstly, neuroimage collection and imaging-derived phenotypes are summarized. Secondly, typical studies of UKB in neuroimaging areas are introduced, which include cardiovascular risk factors, regulatory factors, brain age prediction, normality, successful and morbid brain aging, environmental and genetic factors, cognitive ability and gender. Lastly, the open challenges and future directions of UKB are discussed. This article has the potential to open up a new research field for the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical research development of dementia in the UK Biobank database in SCIE and PubMed. MethodsThe literatures of dementia in the UK Biobank database published in SCIE and PubMed from January 1, 2018 to November 30, 2022 were searched, and the number of articles, publishing institutions, journals, citations, authors and keywords were statistically analyzed. ResultsA total of 279 papers were included, and the number of papers presented an annual growth trend. The United Kingdom has the largest number of publications, the United States journals have the greatest influence, and China has the third largest number of publications. Springer Nature from Germany published the most papers, with the largest number of 47 papers. Among the authors, Yu JT from China published the most, with 11 articles, and the most major keyword in the research content is Alzheimer. ConclusionThe literatures of dementia in the UK Biobank-related field included in SCIE and PubMed databases show an increasing trend year by year, mainly in English, and the core author group has not yet formed. The papers published by Chinese scholars are concentrated in 2020-2022, and there are few transnational cooperative papers.
ObjectiveTo explore the necessity, construction plans, and implementation methods for the establishment of a fundus disease-specific biobank are discussed. MethodsAn evidence-based medicine study. “Biobank”, “Disease-specific biobank”, “Eye diseases”, “Fundus disease” were hereby used as search terms. Literatures were retrieved related to biobank construction from PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases since their establishment until October 2023. Two researchers independently selected and analyzed literature, extracting data for further analysis. ResultsAfter screening, 23 articles were included, comprising 11 articles in Chinese and 12 articles in English, involving 23 institutions. The disease-specific biobank has been built earlier abroad than domestically. Both domestic and foreign biobank have a scale of less than 1, 1 to 10, and more than 10 thousand samples, with the eye disease-specific biobank having less than 10 thousand samples. The majority of these disease-specific biobank focued on tumor-related diseases and consist of both physical and information components. Ethical committees were required to declare and record the construction of biobank, and dedicated personnel and information management systems are established. Quality control systems have been developed with standard operating procedures from sample collection to storage. These disease-specific biobank effectively supported research projects, but there was a lack of resource sharing domestically compared to abroad. Based on practical experience, the construction of fundus disease-specific biobank at West China Hospital of Sichuan University has been improved. Separate sample collection processes have been formulated for outpatient clinics and operating rooms. Standard operating procedures have been established for unique eye samples, including vitreous fluid, proliferative membranes of the retina, aqueous humor, tears, etc., to ensure sample quality. ConclusionEstablishing a fundus disease-specific biobank can promote basic and clinical research, advance the development of translational medicine, achieve resource sharing, and foster discipline development.