title: Overview of the BioBank Japan Project: Study design and profile.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The BioBank Japan (BBJ) Project was launched in 2003 with the aim of providing evidence for the implementation of personalized medicine by constructing a large, patient-based biobank (BBJ). This report describes the study design and profile of BBJ participants who were registered during the first 5-year period of the project.
  
  
  METHODS
  The BBJ is a registry of patients diagnosed with any of 47 target common diseases. Patients were enrolled at 12 cooperative medical institutes all over Japan from June 2003 to March 2008. Clinical information was collected annually via interviews and medical record reviews until 2013. We collected DNA from all participants at baseline and collected annual serum samples until 2013. In addition, we followed patients who reported a history of 32 of the 47 target diseases to collect survival data, including cause of death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 5-year period, 200,000 participants were registered in the study. The total number of cases was 291,274 at baseline. Baseline data for 199,982 participants (53.1% male) were available for analysis. The average age at entry was 62.7 years for men and 61.5 years for women. Follow-up surveys were performed for participants with any of 32 diseases, and survival time data for 141,612 participants were available for analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BBJ Project has constructed the infrastructure for genomic research for various common diseases. This clinical information, coupled with genomic data, will provide important clues for the implementation of personalized medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Policy, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genome Technology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Statistical Analysis, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamatani
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Policy, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Laboratory of Clinical Genome Sequencing, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.affiliation: Hisayama Research Institute for Lifestyle Diseases, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kiyohara
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamakoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Zentaro
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Taisei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mushiroda
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Project Division of International Advanced Medical Research, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yuji
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Genome Research, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Genetics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zembutsu
authors.affiliation: SNP Research Center, RIKEN Yokohama Institute, Yokohama, Japan; Department of Human Genetics and Disease Diversity, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan; Bioresource Research Center, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: SNP Research Center, RIKEN Yokohama Institute, Yokohama, Japan; Shinko Clinic, Medical Corporation Shinkokai, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yozo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, USA.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan. Electronic address: michiaki.kubo@riken.jp.
authors.forename: Michiaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubo
mesh_terms: D018070:Biological Specimen Banks; D005260:Female; D036281:Genetic Research; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057285:Precision Medicine; D012042:Registries; D012107:Research Design
keywords: BioBank Japan Project; Biobank; Genomic research; Personalized medicine