Building a Network of Biological Resource Centers for Research Purposes in the Caribbean: Excellent Potential for Research into Public Health Diseases

摘要

Biological Resource Centers (BRCs) and their associated molecular biology platforms are the keys to the development of clinical research, by enabling the utilization and sharing of dedicated collections of human biological samples. Whether in the aim of identifying biomarkers for existing diseases, or improving knowledge of the pathophysiology of emerging diseases, these collections have the ultimate goal of improving patient care. The BRC of the University Hospital of Guadeloupe calls for the implementation of a Caribbean network between BRCs and Biobank-type structures across the Caribbean, in the following areas: cancer, infectious and emerging diseases, hematological, and cardio-metabolic diseases. This Caribbean Network of Biological Resource Centers (CNBRC) aims to become a key player in proposing specific ad hoc research topics, bringing together biological materials from Caribbean populations with similar health problems. A network of this type would facilitate academic and/or industrial partnerships, promote exchange of know-how through dedicated platforms, and link research teams through communication tools. Furthermore, collaboration between plant and animal BRCs could enable preclinical studies on Caribbean flora and fauna, and their impact on human health. Sharing expertise and processes, and ensuring a reliable delivery system for quality biological samples, would be at the core of the network's functioning. Therefore, setting up a CNBRC represents a unique opportunity to expand the scale and quality of clinical research in the Caribbean in two ways, namely:-firstly, by bringing together data from populations who share geographic, environmental and genetic similarities, but which may not have sufficient sample sizes to yield the required statistical power when studied separately; -secondly, by giving local scientists the tools to develop the expertise within their own communities.