The Zhangjiang Biobank is located on Li Bing Road in “Zhangjiang Science City”, Pudong district, Shanghai, China. It is reported that the biobank is projected to reach a storage capacity of 10 million human derived samples such as human tissue, cells, blood, and intestinal microflora. Tumour tissues are preserved in paraffin wax for room temperature storage and samples are also frozen using liquid nitrogen storage tanks.
The Biobank is owned and operated by Shanghai Outdo Biotech Co., Ltd., and has received a first phase investment of nearly 100 million yuan. The company aims to establish a “Resource Center” of biological samples for major diseases and a “biological sample virtual information center”. The Biobank has an integrated high-throughput genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and other one-stop research platforms on site. The aim is to convert R&D into products quickly. To date four products from the biobank have achieved approval of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). One of the products include a liver cancer early diagnosis and early screening kit for self-testing at home. Reportedly it works in a similar manner to blood glucose test strips.
In addition to storage for research, the Zhangjiang Biobank has individual storage for the general public, for example, dental pulp stem cell storage, T-cells, adipose stem cells, and placenta derived mesenchymal stem cells.
Baby teeth can be placed in a special preservation solution, sent by 24-hour express to the biobank, and after treatment the pulp stem cells saved for possible future cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease and autoimmune treatments.
The Biobank COO Ye Yang stated that studies and experiments showed that pulp stem cells have multiple differentiation potentials which can potentially be used in regenerative medicine for the customer at a later date.
“There have been multiple copies of dental pulp stem cells stored with us, and specific clinical applications”.
