ISIDORe Case Study:
BBMRI-ERIC Latvia - biobanking enabling pandemic preparedness research
The ISIDORe project is a major European initiative focusing on studying infectious diseases and improving Europe’s ability to respond to future epidemics and pandemics. It is funded as part of the Horizon Europe scheme.
The project brought together the largest and most diverse set of research infrastructure provided facilities and services that cover areas from structural biology to clinical trials.
Throughout its duration, ISIDORe facilitated scientists with access to state-of-the-art equipment, advanced expertise and integrated services, which has helped accelerate the development of new solutions to fight infectious diseases, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project played a key role in enhancing Europe’s capacity to manage future epidemics and pandemics.
Coordinated by ERINHA, ISIDORe united 17 major European life sciences research infrastructures and infectious disease networks. With 154 research entities involved, the project made a significant contribution to advancing research and improving global preparedness for health crises, marking a significant step in Europe’s response to infectious diseases.
This story explores how ISIDORe enabled an important partnership between a researcher and biobank.
Meet the researcher
Dr. Philipp Hohensinner is a Principal Investigator at the Medical University Vienna.
Dr. Hohensinner and his team had been studying Covid-19 infections for some time and developed a mouse model to track the progression of the virus.
Their goal was to explore whether there were any lasting effects after the virus was cleared.
Upon investigating, the team discovered that even after the virus was fully cleared from the mice, signs of inflammation and prolonged immune system activation persisted.
This led the team to question whether these effects were specific to their mouse model or if they could be observed in other species, including humans.
To confirm their findings, they decided to investigate the same patterns in a human population sample, which led them to the ISIDORe project.
ISIDORe services are provided via application that is assessed by the coordinating team for its scientific merit and ethical compliance.
If the project is granted, the applicant can access state-of-the-art tools and services for no cost. These costs are covered by the project funding.
Facilitating research
The ISIDORe team plays a crucial role as a bridge between researchers and biobanks, facilitating access to valuable clinical samples and data stored in biobanks, understanding their specific needs and requirements and ensuring that the samples and data provided align with the research objectives.
In this specific case, the ISIDORe team successfully matched Dr. Hohensinner’s research needs with samples available in the Genome Database of Latvian Population (LGDB), the Latvian National Node of BBMRI-ERIC.
BBMRI-ERIC
Dr. Łukasz Kozera, Scientific Programme Manager at BBMRI-ERIC, is in charge of the ISIDORe’s Work Package 8 - facilitation of access to clinical samples and data. He explains:
“The application from Professor Hohensinner was relatively straightforward. The research group is currently studying the activation of the fibrotic pathway in the liver after a viral infection.
"They were searching for specific plasma samples, which were found at the Latvian Biomedical Center.”
“Our goal was to analyse the TNA request and ensure that we identified appropriate samples, considering both quality criteria and specific clinical criteria that were important for the research group to integrate with their research data.”
“Our mission is to make sure that scientists from different European research teams can establish cooperation with our Biobanks, to perform scientific research at the highest level. And, the idea of the ISIDORe project is also to show the mobilisation of the scientific community to respond to future pandemic outbreaks”.
Dr. Łukasz Kozera
Scientific Programme Manager at BBMRI-ERIC
Meet the biobank
“We got involved in this project for two reasons. One was that we had the COVID-19 cohort in our biobank, and we wanted to expand it for further studies across Europe.
The second reason was that we wanted to gain more recognition and represent our biobank on a European scale.”
- Dr. Vita Rovite -
Head of the Genome Database of Latvian Population (LGDB) and National Node Director
“Vita had a population that was well-suited to our research question. We received blood samples from a cohort that had been followed over time, which allowed us to track the reaction to the viral infection. In the end, we were pleased to conclude that the results were similar to those observed in our mouse model. Additionally, in human patients, we observed long-term activation of individual cells and persistent inflammation, which confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 infection has a much longer-lasting impact on the body than the initial infection period.”
Highlighting the efficiency of the process and the minimal effort required to have the samples shipped, Dr. Hohensinner states:
“Obtaining the samples from Vita was surprisingly easy for us. The Isidore team was very helpful, and I think it took us a total of four emails to have the samples shipped to Austria and allow us to start the work. From filling out the form, contacting Lukasz with our request, to receiving the samples, this was an extremely streamlined process. We were happy that we were able to obtain the samples in such an easy manner.”
Findings
Dr. Hohensinner explains that the team aimed to understand the long-term effects that the viral infection has on the human population. They emphasised that the pandemic is not over simply because the viral infection is under control, as there are lasting consequences from the significant viral burden placed on the population:
“We wanted to explain why we observed more cases of adverse events in patient populations, such as those with cardiovascular disease, who had an increased number of strokes or myocardial infarctions. These events are not directly linked to a current viral infection, but are closely related.
"With the help of the plasma samples from Vita, we were able to demonstrate that the effects are long-lasting and can persist for months. Therefore, we must ensure that we control the pandemic not only in the initial phase, but also through the phase where the virus effects are still measurable, even though the viral infections are long gone.”
A man and a woman in a laboratory wearing medical gowns.
A man and a woman in a laboratory wearing medical gowns.
"I think this project, in collaboration with Philipp, worked very well because in our biobank, we had already developed all the processes, from the initial request for samples to the ethical permissions and material transfer agreement templates that were already in place.
As a result, communication with the researchers and all necessary steps and procedures were streamlined and fast. This added value for both the researchers and the biobank, facilitating collaboration in an efficient manner."
"The ISIDORe project was very valuable to our biobank because it helped us connect with other researchers across Europe and showcase the resources, data, and samples we had in our biobank for COVID-19 research, and potentially for future collaborations and studies beyond that."
- Dr. Vita Rovite -
Head of the Genome Database of Latvian Population (LGDB) and National Node Director
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