RESUMO
Delineating the pathogenesis of multifactorial diseases is a major challenge of the postgenomial era. Genetic factors are known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of certain psychiatric disorders as well as in the development of adverse reactions to psychoactive drugs. Containing large numbers of samples and linking them clinical data, biobanks are gaining importance in the studies of chronic multifactorial diseases. Several biobanks are under establishment in Hungary. The first initiative to collect samples in neurological and psychiatric disorders was the NEPSYBANK coordinated by the Hungarian Society of Clinical Neurogenetics. The national biobank network is currently established by the NEKIFUT project of the National Office of Research and Technology. In this article we describe the structure, logistics and informatical background of the national schizophrenia biobank (SCHIZOBANK). The initiative of the SCHIZOBANK originates from a consortium in which academy and health industry partners are collecting biological materials and data in five major psychiatric center under the coordination of the Medical and Health Science Center of the University of Debrecen. We review other international schizophrenia biobanks as well. Major strength of the SCHIZOBANK is the collection of very detailed phenotypic data and of RNA and plasma both in psychotic and non-psychotic state of the patient which permits longitudinal follow-up and the study of both static and dynamically changing transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic markers. The collection of the SCHIZOBANK is available not only to consortial partners but to other national and international research groups as well.