Commentary

The Emergence of Biobanks: Practical Design Considerations for Large Population-Based Studies of Gene-Environment Interactions
Robert L. Davis^{a, b, c}, Muin J. Khoury<sup>a

a</sup>Office of Genomics and Disease Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.,
^bCenter for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative and
^cDepartments of Epidemiology and Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash., USA

Address of Corresponding Author

Community Genet 2007;10:181-185 (DOI: 10.1159/000101760)

  Key Words

• Biobank
• Cohort
• Case-control study
• Gene-environment interaction

  Abstract

The completion of the human genome project has spurred new thinking about launching large-scale cohort studies; as proposed, these studies will differ from past large-scale cohort studies and will focus primarily on how genetic variation interacts with environmental exposures to affect the risk for common human diseases. There is no single 'best design' for large-scale studies of gene-environment interactions. Some studies are best performed in cohort studies where unbiased information can be collected on individuals years before disease onset. Other studies may be most efficiently done with a case-control design using currently available automated data. Population-based biobanks with nested case-control or case-cohort studies offer distinct advantages to some of the resource-intensive large-scale cohort studies under consideration, and may be more acceptable to many of the countries around the world currently considering such projects.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Dr. Robert L. Davis
Office of Genomics and Disease Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4770 Buford Highway, Mailstop K-89, Atlanta, GA 30341 (USA)
Tel. +1 770 488 8391, E-Mail rad2@cdc.gov

  Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 13