BBMRI-ERIC Quality Label for EPND Cohort “gMAD/COSCODE” investigating Alzheimer’s disease

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“It is very pleasing to see that international standards, which have been a fundamental pillar for high sample quality in BBMRI-ERIC from the very beginning, are also being met by cohorts from the research field of neurodegenerative diseases.” (Dr. Maike Tauchert, BBMRI-ERIC’s Quality Manager)

Quality success

The gMAD-COSCODE, a longitudinal observational study aimed at characterising the SCD population, identifying new biomarkers for early diagnosis, and understanding the contribution of the gut microbiota to Alzheimer’s disease, is led by Prof. Giovanni B. Frisoni and his team at the University of Geneva.

Frisoni’s team emphasises the importance of processing the cohort samples to the highest quality standards and aimed to have this verified in a 2nd level audit by BBMRI-ERIC. The team successfully underwent a remote audit as part of the BBMRI-ERIC audit programme.

The cohort was awarded the BBMRI-ERIC Quality Label according to ISO 20186-1:2019 Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations — Specifications for pre-examination processes for venous whole blood, Part 1: Isolated cellular RNA and ISO 20186-2:2019 Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations — Specifications for pre-examination processes for venous whole blood, Part 2: Isolated genomic DNA.

Prof. Giovanni B. Frisoni told us what the team values about the Quality Label auditing process:

“The Memory Centre at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) is very proud to have received this certification, which underlines the excellent quality of preservation and processing of the samples entrusted to us. It is gratifying for our laboratory team and demonstrates the care and consideration we give to the patients participating in the gMad and COSCODE studies”

Dr. Maike Tauchert, BBMRI-ERIC’s Quality Manager, described what she found particularly pleasing for the gMAD-COSCODE audit:

“In addition to meeting the requirements of international standards and an EPND community standard, the audit revealed a strong commitment of the cohort to continuously improve their biobanking processes. It is very pleasing to see that international standards, which have been a fundamental pillar for high sample quality in BBMRI-ERIC from the very beginning, are also being met by cohorts from the research field of neurodegenerative diseases”

BBMRI-ERIC’s quality audit process for EPND

Since 2021, BBMRI has been a partner of the European Platform for Neurodegenerative Diseases (EPND), an IHI funded consortium of multidisciplinary partners from the public and private sectors researching into neurodegenerative diseases.

BBMRI developed an audit programme for evaluating collection processes of various EPND cohorts with the aim to assess compliance with applicable international standards (ISO) and foster continuous improvement in biobanking practices while ensuring high-quality samples and reliable research outcomes. EPND cohorts that undergo a successful audit have the possibility to be assigned with Quality Labels in the BBMRI Directory.

Explore more

We are delighted to feature gMAD-COSCODE in the BBMRI-ERIC Directory  – check out the entry.

Visit the Quality Management pages to learn more about the BBMRI-ERIC Quality Labels and the QM Audit Programme.