Development of a biological resource center for cellular therapy and biobanking in a public polyclinic university hospital.

A model of a university hospital facility for biobanking and clinical grade cell manipulation is described. The facility is based on the model of the Biological Resource Center described by the Organisation for the Economic Cooperation and Development in 1999. This model integrates several critical aspects of collection, characterization, storage and use of biological materials for research purposes and therapeutic applications, thus providing potential advantages of optimizing the use of resources, improving standardization, protecting the rights of both donors and recipients of biological materials, and facilitating international cooperation.