Fairbanks Institute for Healthy Communities introduces INbank biorepository

The Fairbanks Institute for Healthy Communities, the Indianapolis not-for-profit organization working to improve community health,  announced today the creation of  INbank™, a next generation biorepository  that will provide scientists with an important resource for  research on chronic diseases of aging.   INbank™ connects information available in patient histories and clinical outcomes data with biological samples, enabling more robust and relevant research that can lead to better ways to diagnose and treat common diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.   INbank™ is made possible by the Indiana Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study of the Central Indiana population sponsored by the Fairbanks Institute.  

"Traditional biorepositories contain biological samples and information obtained at the time the sample is collected," said Cynthia Helphingstine, PhD, President and CEO of the Fairbanks Institute.  "With INbank™, the information connected to the biological samples can be continually updated, making it possible for researchers to study disease progression and patient response to treatment.  These studies are key to the development of personalized medicines."

The updated clinical information on subjects in the Indiana Health Study comes from the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC), a metropolitan Indianapolis-based electronic medical record created and managed by the Regenstrief Institute, Inc.  The INPC's ever-expanding longitudinal patient data system includes clinical data from over forty hospitals, data from payors, prescription data from pharmacy benefit managers and pharmacies, and public health data.

"The INPC was set up more than 15 years ago to support patient care, research, quality and improvements in public health," said Thomas S. Inui, MD, President and CEO of the Regenstrief Institute.  "We are pleased to partner with the Fairbanks Institute in the creation of INbank™ as it will increase researchers' access to the wealth of information in the INPC."

David Johnson, President and CEO of BioCrossroads, a founding organization of the Fairbanks Institute, noted that "the creation of INbank™ is another indication of the progress the Fairbanks Institute is making toward fulfilling its mission of facilitating research breakthroughs that improve the health of the Central Indiana community and beyond."