IBBL (Integrated BioBank of Luxembourg) was recently chosen as the sole European biobank to host a large collection of biological specimens and data collected as part of the EU Joint Programme in Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND).

The Joint Programme for Neurodegenerative Disease (JNPD) Research is a European Union (EU) Member State-led initiative to tackle one of the 'grand challenges' facing society in the coming years, that of neurodegenerative diseases (ND) such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. The programme brings together research agencies, ministries and centres of excellence from 25 European countries. It is the largest global initiative focussed on ND.

One major aim of the programme is to improve the scientific understanding of ND by promoting research to uncover new genetic and environmental risk factors and assess their interplay. This requires Europe‐wide population-based studies, biobanking of DNA and human tissues, and data sharing. To create an enabling environment for ND research, there is a need to encourage integration and harmonisation of data and materials, and promote an open‐access approach to their use. IBBL has been chosen as the sole European biobank to provide the infrastructure necessary for hosting a centralised collection of samples and data as part of the JNPD. Samples from 25 EU sites will be stored at IBBL and made available to the 55 individual members of the consortium or other scientists. First samples are expected to arrive at IBBL in June 2013.

Besides taking care of the physical storage of biological samples, IBBL will also provide a web‐based IT platform for the 25 collection sites to capture all data related to the samples sent to IBBL, and for the entire consortium to access the collection. A third element will be to participate in biospecimen research on brain fluid samples collected by the consortium.

“This is an exciting new avenue where IBBL provides a service to JPND as part of a research collaboration project at the European level,” explains Catherine Larue, CEO of IBBL, and points out: “It reinforces the credibility of IBBL as a research support infrastructure for multinational projects, which is very satisfying given that IBBL has been operational for less than three years.”

For more information on JNPD, visit www.neurodegenerationresearch.eu

The IBBL press release is also available in German version and French version.

Researchers from Luxembourg make progress in developing cell therapies. Outcomes may serve as basis for the development of cell replacement therapies for Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, or extensive burns.

In a paper published by the prestigious journal, Nature Methods, biologists at the University of Luxembourg, Tampere University of Technology and the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, USA, have created the biggest family tree of human cell types.

Cells are the basic unit of a living organism. The human body consists of a vast array of highly specialised cells, such as blood cells, skin cells and neurons. In total more than 250 different cell types exist. How are the different types related to each other? Which factors are unique for each cell type? And what in the end determines the development of a certain cell?

To answer these questions, the research team designed a computer-based method that uses already existing biological data from research groups all over the world and analyses them in an entirely new way. This led to the identifications of unique factors for 166 different human cell types. These factors, or master regulators, determine the development and distinguish different cell types from each other. With this information they could map the relationship between the cell types in a family tree. These outcomes may serve as basis for the development of cell replacement therapies.

“Many diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and diabetes, or extensive burns result in the loss or altered functionality of cells”, explains Dr. Merja Heinäniemi, who previously worked at the Life Sciences Research Unit and the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) at the University of Luxembourg. “Ideally one would like to replace those sick or lost cells again by healthy ones to cure the patients. This study forms an important step towards the development of such therapies.”

Prof. Rudi Balling, Director of the LCSB, adds: “This study illustrates the increasing importance of computer science for biology and medicine. Only with the help of computers it was possible to analyse these large amounts of biological data to create the first large-scale analysis of cell-type specific master regulators”.
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Publication: Gene-pair expression signatures reveal lineage control. Merja Heinäniemi, Matti Nykter, Roger Kramer, Anke Wienecke-Baldacchino, Lasse Sinkkonen, Joseph Xu Zhou, Richard Kreisberg, Stuart A Kauffman, Sui Huang & Ilya Shmulevich. Nature Methods 2013
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For more information, please see the following websites:
University of Luxembourg: http://wwwfr.uni.lu/recherche/fstc/life_sciences_research_unit/news/new_study_biggest_family_tree_of_human_cells_created

Newspaper: http://www.wort.lu/en/view/researchers-from-luxembourg-make-progress-in-developing-cell-therapies-51752fcee4b08127f96a2744?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The Ministry of Health and the Personalized Medicine Consortium (PMC) of Luxembourg are cordially inviting the general public of Luxembourg to be part of a ground-breaking national health summit on 3rd May 2012.

This Summit is open to all members of the public of Luxembourg. If you wish to attend, please register online now.

http://www.sommetsante.lu/en/

The new Biomedicine Building at Esch-Belval was, inaugurated on the 26th of September, the first of the planned University of Luxembourg buildings to be built on remediated industrial land at Belval. The building has a very plain design, and was built in a record two years. It will house the most modern laboratory in the Grand Region. One of the first tenants will be the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, led by international expert Dr. Rudi Balling. His interdisciplinary team of 50 biologists, doctors and computer technicians is working on developing “made-to-measure” medications, based on taking readings of an individual person’s biology.