NEW BIOBANK ON DISMETABOLIC DISEASE: AN ITALIAN EXPERIENCE AT ISTITUTO AUXOLOGICO ITALIANO IRCCS

Letter to the Editor

A.M. Diblasio¹, G. Gazzano¹, G. Parati², F. Ferrara¹ and M.M. Corsi-Romanelli^1,3*

¹ Department of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Biobank BioAux, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Milan, Italy;
² Department of Cardiology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Milan, Italy;
³ Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.

*Correspondence to:
Prof. Massimiliano Marco Corsi-Romanelli MD, PhD,
Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health,
Chair of Clinical Pathology,
University of Milan,
Milan, Italy.
e-mail: mmcorsi@unimi.it

Received: 16 March, 2026 Accepted: 04 May, 2026

ISSN 2279-5855 print / 3103-7364 [online] Copyright 2026 © by Biolife Publisher This publication and/or article is for individual use only and may not be further reproduced without written permission from the copyright holder. Unauthorized reproduction may result in financial and other penalties. Disclosure: All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

KEYWORDS: Dismetabolic disease, biobanking, blockchain, laboratory medicine

To the Editor,

Our project is the creation of an innovative “Research Platform”, a phygital structure which collects and stores biological samples and data from healthy individuals or the population affected by metabolic disorders. The platform aims to promote the study of public health, genetics, and environmental risk and prevention factors in the field of metabolic disorders, with the goal of understanding how lifestyle, environment, epigenetics and genetics influence and impact the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of affected individuals.

A biobank is closely linked to laboratory medicine, but they are not the same thing; a biobank is a facility that collects, processes, stores, and distributes biological samples (such as blood, tissue, and DNA) along with associated data. These samples are essential resources for laboratory medicine. Laboratory medicine focuses on diagnosing diseases through lab tests, monitoring treatment, and understanding disease mechanisms. Therefore, biobanks support this by providing high-quality, well-preserved samples, enabling research and validation of diagnostic tests and supporting fields such as genomics, oncology, and personalized medicine. The use of innovative technologies, such as blockchain and digital twins, combined with population biobanks, is revolutionizing research into metabolic disorders. Blockchain ensures the unalterable traceability of data and biological samples, protecting privacy and fostering participant trust. Digital twins are digital replicas of biological samples which enable real-time monitoring and in-depth analyses, facilitating personalized and predictive studies. This innovative approach fosters collaborative research, the development of innovative systems, and access to increasingly personalized therapies, as expressed in the Anglo-Saxon world of “tailor-made medicine” (1).

Thanks to its security and transparency, the platform promotes the active involvement of citizens in the research process, improving the understanding of metabolic disorders and contributing to the development of new therapeutic solutions. In terms of replicability, the platform can be easily adapted to various medical fields, not only for metabolic disorders but also for other pathologies including cardiac, neurological, oncological, and rare diseases. Furthermore, the model can be extended to different national and international contexts, facilitating collaborations and promoting technology transfer to innovative biotech companies. The adoption of solutions such as blockchain ensures security and traceability, supporting data protection and complying with global ethical regulations (2,3). Finally, the development of advanced diagnostic tools and associated business models promotes the evolution of the biomedical industrial ecosystem, accelerating innovation and increasing competitiveness in the research sector.

The use of innovative tools to support the development of the research platform, such as a population/disease biobank and blockchain for managing samples and data on metabolic disorders, offers the opportunity to actively engage various stakeholders with transparent and secure control, clearly managing consent and information sharing (4). This approach fosters new business models, such as collaborative research and the development of personalized tools. Blockchain ensures unalterable traceability and protects privacy, fostering trust and encouraging citizen participation. Furthermore, the platform can enhance clinical research and pharmaceutical development by offering the opportunity to test innovative and personalized therapies directly on the samples themselves, thus ensuring improved treatment and prevention.

A digital twin associated with a biological sample is a digital replica that represents and simulates the sample itself, including genetic, metabolic, and clinical data. This technology allows for the monitoring and analysis of sample characteristics in real time, facilitating personalized and predictive studies. Furthermore, integration with blockchain systems ensures data security and integrity. These technologies allow citizens to monitor the traceability of their samples, increasing transparency and privacy, and promoting active citizen involvement in research, making them part of the process.

Metabolic syndrome is a complex set of interrelated disorders that are often diagnosed and treated separately. While each component may have distinct etiologies, developmental pathways, and manifestations, they share a common root in metabolic dysregulation. This multifaceted syndrome arises from the convergence of environmental factors, such as diet and lifestyle, and internal metabolic imbalances. Genetics undoubtedly plays a role, but lifestyle changes, particularly overnutrition and sedentary behavior, have significantly contributed to the increase in rates of metabolic disorders. Its development is often age-related, leading to a chronic, degenerative condition that gradually intensifies in a complex web of interconnected disorders. According to data reported by the World Health Organization, approximately 43% of the global population is overweight, with a substantial increase in children and adolescents, where the prevalence has grown from 8% to 20% in 30 years. Despite the fact that the definition of metabolic syndrome/metabolism remains controversial and debated, the association between metabolic alterations and cardiovascular risk has been highlighted by numerous studies, such as the SARDInia population study, or the aforementioned study on Molise and albumin.

In recent years, Istituto Auxologico has decided to include associated studies covering the areas of cardiology, metabolic disorders, and related neurodegenerative diseases. Auxologico has a long history of research in the field of metabolic disorders: for over fifty years, the Auxologico Italiano IRCCS has dedicated most of its efforts to research and study metabolic disorders, particularly obesity and anorexia. Evidence of this is the existence of a biobank with over thirty years of experience in metabolic disorders, including both obesity and anorexia. Auxologico intends to consolidate both its logistics and research activities in the Lombardy region. This assumption stems from both regional and national interest in the issue of metabolic disorders from childhood, through post-pubertal years, to adulthood. The population biobank, in particular, is based on the collection of biological samples from the general population enrolled in epidemiological studies. Italian biobanks are primarily disease-specific (oncological, genetic, and multi-specialty) and are organized into regional networks and national and international thematic networks. Population-based biobanks also operate within a thematic network. Today, thanks to the establishment of biobanks, it is possible to conduct scientific studies involving a significant number of patients or citizens. It is essential to focus on citizens, not just patients; not all those who provide their biological samples to biobanks suffer from one or more diseases.

There are two types of biobanks: research and therapeutic. Research biobanks are non-profit service units that collect, store, and distribute human biological samples, such as tissue, blood, or other materials. If these biological samples belong to a patient suffering from a particular disease, they will be stored in a disease-oriented biobank such as oncology or neurological biobank. On the other hand, population biobanks collect samples from the general population or specific populations, such as the Molise biobank, which studies residents of a specific area of Molise, the Cilento biobank, or an area of Sardinia where people with above-average longevity live. In this case, the research spans many years, even decades, and involves epidemiological studies or complex, multifactorial diseases, or the genetics of specific population groups (5). At the Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, we want to leverage our thirty-year experience in treating endocrine-metabolic disorders conducted at the IRCCS headquarters in Piancavallo, Italy to create a population biobank that could be unique at the national level for obesity and other increasingly pressing metabolic disorders.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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