The 2018 Revision of the ISBER Best Practices: Summary of Changes and the Editorial Team's Development Process.

An increased need for specimens of reliable and consistent quality for research purposes requires the development of standardized policies and practices for the collection, handling, storage, retrieval, and distribution of specimens and specimen-related data. Providers of specimen resources should strive to incorporate new technologies and state-of-the-science approaches and thus ensure the availability of fit-for-purpose research specimens. Strategies to achieve quality outcomes and performance improvements often include adherence to established standards and implementation of best practices. Although standards represent a rigid set of guidelines that define exactly how a task should be completed, best practices are recommended actions and principles that demonstrate an awareness of standards, solve problems, can be replicated, and work in a given context. Adoption of best practice elements will vary based on the goals and circumstances of a given initiative, and in some instances, may not be possible to implement or may represent an aspirational achievement. In an effort to harmonize the scientific, technical, legal, and ethical issues relevant to repositories of biological and environmental specimens, the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) has released the updated ISBER Best Practices: Recommendations for Repositories (ISBER Best Practices). The document provides a comprehensive tool to guide repository professionals in both managerial and technical aspects such as practical details on repository governance, development, and operation; regulatory compliance; and ethical, legal, and social issues relevant to repositories. This summary describes the process for revising the document and summarizes the new topics, updates, and areas of expansion included in the fourth edition of ISBER Best Practices.

Identification of evidence-based biospecimen quality-control tools: a report of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) Biospecimen Science Working Group.

Control of biospecimen quality that is linked to processing is one of the goals of biospecimen science. Consensus is lacking, however, regarding optimal sample quality-control (QC) tools (ie, markers and assays). The aim of this review was to identify QC tools, both for fluid and solid-tissue samples, based on a comprehensive and critical literature review. The most readily applicable tools are those with a known threshold for the preanalytical variation and a known reference range for the QC analyte. Only a few meaningful markers were identified that meet these criteria, such as CD40L for assessing serum exposure at high temperatures and VEGF for assessing serum freeze-thawing. To fully assess biospecimen quality, multiple QC markers are needed. Here we present the most promising biospecimen QC tools that were identified.

Standard preanalytical coding for biospecimens: review and implementation of the Sample PREanalytical Code (SPREC).

The first version of the Standard PREanalytical Code (SPREC) was developed in 2009 by the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) Biospecimen Science Working Group to facilitate documentation and communication of the most important preanalytical quality parameters of different types of biospecimens used for research. This same Working Group has now updated the SPREC to version 2.0, presented here, so that it contains more options to allow for recent technological developments. Existing elements have been fine tuned. An interface to the Biospecimen Reporting for Improved Study Quality (BRISQ) has been defined, and informatics solutions for SPREC implementation have been developed. A glossary with SPREC-related definitions has also been added.

Standard preanalytical coding for biospecimens: defining the sample PREanalytical code.

BACKGROUND: Management and traceability of biospecimen preanalytical variations are necessary to provide effective and efficient interconnectivity and interoperability between Biobanks. METHODS: Therefore, the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories Biospecimen Science Working Group developed a "Standard PREanalytical Code" (SPREC) that identifies the main preanalytical factors of clinical fluid and solid biospecimens and their simple derivatives. RESULTS: The SPREC is easy to implement and can be integrated into Biobank quality management systems and databases. It can also be extended to nonhuman biorepository areas. Its flexibility allows integration of new novel technological developments in future versions. SPREC version 01 is presented in this article. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPACT: Implementation of the SPREC is expected to facilitate and consolidate international multicenter biomarker identification research and biospecimen research in the clinical Biobank environment.