title: The Spanish HIV BioBank: a model of cooperative HIV research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The collection of samples from HIV-infected patients is the beginning of the chain of translational research. To carry out quality research that could eventually end in a personalized treatment for HIV, it is essential to guarantee the availability, quality and traceability of samples, under a strict system of quality management.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Spanish HIV BioBank was created with the objectives of processing, storing and providing distinct samples from HIV/AIDS patients, categorized according to strictly defined characteristics, free of charge to research projects. Strict compliance to ethical norms is always guaranteed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the moment, the HIV BioBank possesses nearly 50,000 vials containing different prospective longitudinal study sample types. More than 1,700 of these samples are now used in 19 national and international research projects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HIV BioBank represents a novel approach to HIV research that might be of general interest not only for basic and clinical research teams working on HIV, but also for those groups trying to establish large networks focused on research on specific clinical problems. It also represents a model to stimulate cooperative research among large numbers of research groups working as a network on specific clinical problems. The main objective of this article is to show the structure and function of the HIV BioBank that allow it to very efficiently release samples to different research project not only in Spain but also in other countries.
authors.affiliation: Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. igarciam.hgugm@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: García-Merino
authors.forename: Natividad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Las Cuevas
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallego
authors.forename: Coral
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Ma Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Serramía
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lorente
authors.forename: Ma Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Fernández
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult