Arya Sukumar, College of Agriculture, Vellayani
Groundbreaking research by the team of Professor Leanne Dibbens has formulated a genetic biobank that helps to identify the mechanisms involved in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in newborn babies so that future work can stop SIDS from occurring. What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)? Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is defined as the untimely, unexpected, and unexplained death of an apparently healthy newborn despite clinical examinations, including autopsy. Effective campaigns aimed at newborns, such as “safe sleeping,” have dramatically decreased the number of SIDS cases. Despite this, approximately 100 babies die in Australia each year from SIDS, and we have no idea why. Professor Leanne Dibbens, a molecular biologist and Head of genetics at the Australian Centre for Precision Health, says that the biobank will provide researchers’ unparalleled examination of genetic factors linked to SIDS.
What are genetic biobanks?
Biobanks serve as a repository for information and biological samples from millions of people around the world so that researchers can run new studies (without recruiting subjects) and deposit the results back into the bank. Biobanks can be divided into subgroups depending on the types of biological samples they collect, such as DNA, plasma, and tissue samples, or by study design, such as cross-sectional, translational, retrospective, or prospective research. Serum or DNA samples with clinical and epidemiological baseline and follow-up data are the most frequent biobanks. Biobanks in genetic research have developed from the conventional idea of DNA and serum banks, enhancing population-based biobanks for healthy donors. Over the last decade, biorepositories have become more common, contributing to a variety of basic research investigations in a variety of medical disciplines. Researchers are realizing the necessity for large samples analysis to uncover the genetic basis of susceptibility to complex diseases, therefore genetic biobanks are becoming more prevalent.
What role do genetic biobanks have in SIDS prevention?
A genetic biobank might hold the key to avoiding SIDS, potentially sparing the lives of hundreds of newborns who die each year as a result of the fatal illness. The genetic biobank is the first biobank in the southern hemisphere and one of only a handful worldwide which was developed by the University of South Australia, which contains DNA from 25 babies who died of SIDS in South Australia. The genetic biobank will allow us to analyze DNA from SIDS babies to seek genetic causes of SIDS. By finding these, we will be able to screen newborns at birth to identify those who are at risk, and these babies will be intensively watched for the first year of their lives. River’s Gift, an organization founded by Karl Waddell and Alex Hamilton after their 4-month-old son River died of SIDS in 2011, provided financial support for the biobank. River’s Gift grew out of a simple pledge to stamp out SIDS, ensuring that no other parent would face the anguish and suffering of their child’s untimely and unexplained death. Every infant’s life is priceless. This research will aid in the prevention of SIDS in all newborns.
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Reference:
- New genetic biobank could hold the key to preventing SIDS- News Medical- New genetic biobank could hold the key to preventing SIDS (news-medical.net)
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