Skeletal Muscle Biobanking

Biobank has no unified/consensus definition. Skeletal muscle biobank can be defined as a systematic collection of biological specimens (myocytes/skeletal muscle tissues) and health information of the participants (patients affected by neuromuscular disorders or healthy volunteers) for the purpose of research [1]. The patients’ complete clinical and demographic profile along with their lifestyle data is available for population-based studies which utilize this data to analyze the association amongst genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Biobanking provides a platform for creating cell culture models, researching from bench to bedside, and facilitating clinical trials in case of rare disorders. Health information includes medical, treatment, and lifestyle data, and such data assist in accurate phenotyping and exposure assessment (characterization) [2].