The first Austrian ME/CFS biobank has been set up at the Medical University of Vienna since September 1, 2023, supported by start-up funding from the WE&ME Foundation. The aim of a biobank is to collect samples and patient data for scientific projects in a standardized manner, i.e., uniformly according to the same working protocol. In this particular case, sample collection will be carried out in coordination with the ME/CFS biobanks in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. The samples and data are stored in specially equipped facilities at the Medical University of Vienna.
The stated goal of the biobank project is to participate in large international collaborative projects. The use of biobank samples will enable a larger number of patients to be included in studies. A major joint EU project was recently submitted to improve research in the field of ME/CFS with the participation of European biobanks. Ultimately, this should accelerate research in the field of ME/CFS, as samples are available for collaborative requests and do not first have to be collected. Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna also hope that the samples available from the ME/CFS Biobank Austria will make Vienna a more attractive location for future therapy studies, as access to existing patient samples for comparison purposes will be possible.
The ME/CFS Biobank Austria, headed by Prof. Untersmayr-Elsenhuber, is making an important contribution to intensifying ME/CFS research in the areas of disease mechanisms, diagnostics, and causal therapies.
