India’s First National Biobank for LSDs Launched in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
In February 2026, Government of India (GoI) launched India’s first government-supported National Biobank dedicated to Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs) at the Foundation for Research in Genetics and Endocrinology (FRIGE), Institute of Human Genetics, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
About Biobank: It is a central repository that collects, stores, and manages biological samples and related data such as Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), blood, plasma, and urine, so researchers can use them to study diseases and develop treatments.
In February 2026, Government of India (GoI) launched India’s first government-supported National Biobank dedicated to Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs) at the Foundation for Research in Genetics and Endocrinology (FRIGE), Institute of Human Genetics, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
About Biobank: It is a central repository that collects, stores, and manages biological samples and related data such as Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), blood, plasma, and urine, so researchers can use them to study diseases and develop treatments.
- It includes samples and data from 530 patients collected over a 17-year period from 2008 to 2025.
About LSDs: LSDs are rarely inherited metabolic diseases caused by enzyme deficiencies in cells. The toxic substances build up inside cells and damage organs such as the brain, liver, spleen, and skeleton, without the necessary enzymes.
About National Biobank: The biobank is expected to advance research, help develop new diagnostics, drug targets, and therapies, and provide a centralized national resource for clinical, enzymatic, and genomic data.
Collaboration: A collaborative initiative has been launched with the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Bengaluru(Karnataka), to utilise biobank-derived samples for developing human stem cell–based disease models aimed at studying and understanding rare genetic disorders.
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