Biobanks constitute an integral part of precision medicine. They provide
a repository of biospecimens that may be used to elucidate the
pathophysiology, support diagnoses, and guide the treatment of diseases.
The pilot biobank of rare malignant neoplasms has been established in
the context of the Hellenic Network of Precision Medicine on Cancer and
aims to enhance future clinical and/or research studies in Greece by
collecting, processing, and storing rare malignant neoplasm samples with
associated data. The biobank currently comprises 553 samples; 384
samples of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissue malignancies, 72 samples of
pediatric brain tumors and 97 samples of malignant skin neoplasms. In
this article, sample collections and their individual significance in
clinical research are described in detail along with computational
methods developed specifically for this project. A concise review of the
Greek biobanking landscape is also delineated, in addition to
recommended technologies, methodologies and protocols that were
integrated during the creation of the biobank. This project is expected
to re-enforce current clinical and research studies, introduce advances
in clinical and genetic research and potentially aid in future targeted
drug discovery. It is our belief that the future of medical research is
entwined with accessible, effective, and ethical biobanking and that our
project will facilitate research planning in the `-omic' era by
contributing high-quality samples along with their associated data