NL
On Dec. 6, the 20th anniversary of the AGORA data and biobank was celebrated with a symposium.
The AGORA data and biobank was established in December 2004 from the departments of Epidemiology, Genetics and Urology and has since been coordinated from the department that has had many names over the years but is now known as IQ Health.
Participants, staff and other interested parties were invited to come and hear research presentations and a description of AGORA over the years. About 100 attendees heard that afternoon that AGORA contains information on >7,500 patients with congenital disorders and >4,000 controls. Over those 20 years, 1,200 pounds of paper questionnaires have been collected and >17,000 DNA samples have been isolated from 120 liters of blood and 10 liters of saliva.
The research done with this information and samples has resulted in >70 scientific publications and 9 dissertations. The research focuses primarily on congenital disorders of the kidneys and urinary tract, but anorectal malformations, schisis, hypospadias and the VACTERL association have also been scrutinized. AGORA has been expanded to other UMCs in the Netherlands, thanks to the ArtDECO consortium funded by the Nierstichting.
Founders Wout Feitz, Nine Knoers and Nel Roeleveld were put in the spotlight as they are all around retirement age and have already said goodbye or will do so soon. And what more appropriate flower for this occasion than a geranium. For more information visit: