All About India’s First-Ever Diabetes Biobank Set Up In Chennai

India has taken a long step in its fight against diabetes by establishing the first-ever diabetes Biobank of the country in Chennai.

About the Diabetes Biobank

The biobank, instituted to advance research on diabetes and its unique characteristics within the Indian population, is established by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with Madras Diabetes Research Foundation.

The biobank will be a repository of biological samples such as blood, which will be used to aid scientific studies.

It will collect, process, store, and distribute biospecimens, paving the way for groundbreaking research on early diagnosis, personalized treatments, and better management of diabetes.

Personalized Treatment Strategy?

MDRF Chairman Dr. V. Mohan said the biobank has been in existence for years and contains specimens from young individuals with diabetes of different types, that is, Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes.

“The biobank might help identify novel biomarkers for early diagnosis and to contribute to personalized treatment strategy. It will also contribute to longitudinal studies on disease progression and related complications. It will help to know all this and much more over time,” added Dr. Mohan.

Where are Samples sourced from?

The samples in the biobank have been sourced from two major ICMR-funded studies:

1. ICMR-INDIAB Study : A nationwide study conducted between 2008 and 2020 that covered 1.2 lakh participants, giving an insight into how diabetes was growing in the nation, both in the cities and villages.
2. Registry of Young-Onset Diabetes in India: The registry primarily aims at documenting early-onset diabetes, which carries distinctive clinical characteristics in the Indian population.

India: Diabetes Capital of the world

India is often referred to as the “diabetes capital of the world,” with an alarming diabetes burden. According to the ICMR-INDIAB study, India has over 10 crore diabetes cases and 13.6 crore prediabetes cases, the highest globally.

The study also highlighted a lack of awareness, with only 43.2% of Indians being familiar with diabetes, and a sedentary lifestyle further worsening the crisis.

It will be playing an important role in trying to address all of these challenges. The biobank will aid research in collaboration, advance knowledge on the disease, and feed into global strategies to prevent and manage diabetes.

ALSO READ: Intermittent Fasting May Slow Hair Growth: New Study