Biobanking and gynecologic oncology - Special considerations, challenges and opportunities
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Biobanks of gynecological tissues occupy a critical niche in oncologic research. They are essential components of contemporary research strategies on gynecologic malignancy by integrating clinical, molecular and longitudinal biospecimen data. They also implement protocols for quality control, regulate sample and data sharing, provide ethical and regulatory oversight, and establish governance mechanisms to regulate their function. Gynecologic tissue biobanks also face some unique challenges. The broad heterogeneity of disease entities encompassed under this domain include common and rare malignancies, each with unique molecular subtypes that must be integrated into biobank information systems. Specimen acquisition extends beyond conventional tissues to include cervicovaginal microbiomes and ascitic fluid. Thus, gynecologic tissue biobanks should develop tailored collection strategies and the establishment of dedicated gynecologic tissue repositories that enable the aggregation of rare specimens through collaborative networks. This article emphasizes the need for high-quality annotation of biospecimens, the incorporation of multi-omics approaches to enhance the translational approaches, challenges associated with integration of high dimensional datasets, the role of biobank networks, and various ethical and cultural considerations concerning gynecologic biobanks. Emerging technologies that integrate multi omics, spatial biology and liquid biopsies now offer enhanced opportunities that augment classical specimen collection and should be integrated into standardized protocols.