How Should Biobanks Collect Biosamples for Clinical Application? A 20-year Biomarker-related Publication and Patent Trend Analysis

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to analyze biomarker-related publications and patent trends which biobanks could consider in planning biosample collections for biomarker research. METHODS: Publications and patents containing the term “biomarker” in the title published between 1998 to 2017 were retrieved using Scopus database and Google Patents search engine. RESULTS: Over the last 20 years there has been a steady increase in biomarker-related publications and patents; however this has slowed for patents over the last few years. Publications in 2017 that contained blood, serum, and plasma search terms in the abstract accounted for 50%, and serum as a search term in the title and abstract was more numerous than those containing blood, plasma, tissue, or urine. Blood-related patents were the most common patent in the last 10 years, and accounted for 110 patents in 2017. Biomarker-related publications since 2010 containing RNA and protein search terms in the title and abstract, were more numerous than those containing DNA and metabolite search terms. More than 27% of biomarker-related publications in 2017 and 21% of biomarker-related patents were associated with cancer. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will help biobanks establish a biosample collection strategy for clinical application.