India’s First Diabetes Biobank:
India has established its first diabetes biobank at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) in Chennai, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
- The diabetes biobank is a repository of biological samples collected from different populations to aid scientific research.
- It is designed to: Collect, process, store and distribute biospecimens to support ongoing and future studies, House blood samples for various forms of diabetes, including Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.
- Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin or when the body cannot use insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood glucose levels.
- If the body fails to produce or use insulin properly, it results in high blood glucose levels, a condition known as hyperglycemia. Over a long period, hyperglycemia can cause significant damage to various organs and tissues.
- It is a major cause of critical health conditions such as blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputations.
