Lagos State Biobanking Background And Precedence Activity

Biobanking involves the process of collecting, treating, and long‐term storage of biological and or environmental samples. It represents an essential tool for biological, biomedical and industrial research as well as for laboratory diagnostics. Innovative and progresssive Scientific and medical researches on microbial pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis and management of communicable and non-communicable diseases are based on obtaining biological and environmental samples which are safely stored at near their physiological state for future reference or research. The characteristics of an ideal specimen bank as described by Lee in 1990 (1) should have a secure funding source, a cryogenic storage facility, developed criteria for selection of the best samples to be stored; with each facility developing an ongoing research to optimize sample collection/processing and storage conditions. Evolution in bio-banking has resulted into relevance in diagnostics, therapeutics, research, and epidemiology. These diverse areas of relevance have led to the development of different preserving techniques, definitive functional protocols and bioinformatics procedures. In view of these, even though it requires huge investments in personnel, automation and storing facility, biobanking is becoming a part of biomedical and environmental national scientific programs.

Millions of human, animal, environmental and microbiological samples are stored each year for diagnostic and research purposes, including applications in microbiology, communicable and non-communicable diseases, genetics, oncology, therapeutics etc. In Lagos State, the most important reasons for setting up a biobanking facility include:

(a) To realize epidemiological studies intended to compare samples of human or animal origin within the same epidemic episode or from episodes occurring at different points in time or at distant locations or to perform research studies requiring large number of samples collected in different geographical locations or requiring multiple parameters to be analyzed in specialized laboratories.

(b) To facilitate the development of biological diagnostic tools, vaccines and encourage research and development in alternative and molecular medicine as well as genomics

(c) To constitute repositories of human or animal cell lines or microorganisms used for diagnostic and research procedures, to set up programs checking the quality in diagnostic and research laboratories or to provide reference (state of the art) reagents for research.

(d) To promote effective linkage and collaboration with other research institutions

(e) To enhance and accelerate discoveries in therapeutics and precision medicines for communicable and non-communicable diseases as well as robust bioinformatics applications in science, medicine and agriculture.

(f) To provide an institutional framework for state and national decision making, networking, monitoring and international cooperation in all matters relating to biobanking

(g) To develop a road map for receiving, accessing, retrieval, utilization and disposal of biological and environmental specimens and their associated data (demographic, clinical, environmental and research).

(h) To provide opportunity to perform additional analysis or research work on old samples when new questions arise

(i) To establish collections of microorganisms aimed at characterizing microbial diversity and microbial evolution which will be used in the production of drugs, biocontrol agents, and other beneficial purposes.

(j) To promote Biobanking research and observations through monitoring, detection, and model prediction to enhance preparedness for public health medical emergencies and disaster risk management.

(k) To facilitate resource mobilization for the implementation of identified Biobanking activities and initiatives.

(l) To promote capacity building efforts through inter alia education and training; public awareness; research and development; technology development and transfer; and information and knowledge management.

(m) To establish and strengthen capacity for Management, Coordination, Operation and Maintenance of the biobanks for routine public health and public emergencies caused by dangerous pathogens as well as environmental factors and other unforeseen events.

BACKGROUND AND PRECEDENCE ACTIVITY

Lagos State is one of the fastest growing mega/urban cities in the world. It is the economic hub of Nigeria and West Africa with an international airport, sea port and land borders, which make the State highly vulnerable to bio-threat. The rapidly growing population has led to active competition for available infrastructures causing overcrowding, food shortage and high prices, pollution as well as encroachment in to forest areas and all these can lead to spread of communicable diseases, stress-associated diseases, pollution associated diseases such as asthma and zoonotic diseases such as Ebola and Lassa as a result of encroachment. The global climate change coupled with the topography of Lagos makes the State extremely prone to flooding which can lead to various levels of contamination and pollution that can result in to disease epidemics.

All the mentioned are ideal conditions for the emergence and re-emergence of communicable and non-communicable diseases, some of which the State has been saddled with in the last 3-5 years.

Based on these, there is need for a bio-banking policy for the storage of representative biological and environmental samples to monitor the trend of diseases.

Institutions on the African Continent that govern prevention, early detection and containment of public health crises are weak particularly with regulatory issues relating to biobanking.

A Bio-banking policy is critical to the advancement of research and development in all scientific areas, by providing the infrastructure and capacity for the safe keep of biological and environmental specimens for the purpose of conducting research which will lead to the beneficial co-existence of humans through peaceful advancement in science and discovery. It is also important in providing the bio economy required for Africa to access the third and fourth Industrial Revolution through a leap frog phenomenon.

To this end, in September 2014 the Lagos State Government inaugurated a committee called State Ebola Virus Disease Research Initiative (SEVDRI) after the Ebola virus disease of 2014 with a view to sustaining the containment of EVD and prevention, treatment, control and mitigation of future outbreaks of the disease.

The objectives of the committee were short, medium and long term, which included:

i. Short Term

a) Set up an Advocacy Unit to provide counselling/sensitisation to recovered patients ultimately getting consent to participate in the trials.

b) Establishment of a central laboratory/bio-banking facility to extract plasma from consenting patients and begin research.

c) Explore joint venture collaborative initiatives with respect to funding and provision of needed infrastructure such as obtaining necessary equipment, expertise and skills for the research project.

ii. Medium Term

a) Execute Clinical Trials

b) Secure longer term collaboration with interested partners to eventually expand scope and objectives of research.

iii. Long Term

a) Upgrade the Mainland Hospital to an Infectious Disease Specialist Centre with facilities for biosafety level-3 laboratory, bio-banking and advanced biotechnology research.

As a follow up to this initiative, the Ministry of Health, on behalf of the Lagos State Government, initiated discussions with Global Partnership Program (GPP) Canada in April, 2016, through a letter of request for support. The discussion with GPP Canada was consolidated during the 2nd African Conference on Emerging Infectious Disease held in Lagos from 27th-29thJuly, 2016, following which a formal proposal was forwarded to GPP Canada in July, 2016. Consequently, the development of Bio-safety levels 3 laboratory and Bio-bank was approved leading to the construction and installation of the facility as a step to achieving the set objectives.

In light of the above, it is important that a biobanking policy be designed for Lagos State as a tool to regulate and monitor biobanking activities in the State.