The Australian Arthritis and Autoimmune Biobank Collaborative (A3BC): a national study collecting broad data and biological samples from individuals with arthritis and autoimmune diseases for research towards safer, more effective and evidence-based prevention, diagnosis, treatment and outcome strategies.

Abstract

The Australian Arthritis and Autoimmune Biobank Collaborative (A3BC) was formed in 2016 by a group of Australian rheumatologists and researchers in response to a clear need to enable better prediction of prognosis and treatment outcomes among Australian men, women and children living with arthritis and autoimmune conditions. It was agreed that the best way to achieve this was to build a state-of-the-art national resource that would also enhance rheumatology and related research capacity, thereby addressing the disproportionate support for research into the National Health Priority Area of 'Arthritis and musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions' compared to its high health burden and expenditure.

The A3BC vision is to identify causes and cures for a wide range of musculoskeletal and autoimmune conditions using biobank-enabled, data-linked, collaborative, and multidisciplinary research. Now merged with the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD) and joining forces with the Australian and New Zealand ChiLdhood Arthritis Risk factor Identification sTudY (ANZ CLARITY), Australian Paediatric Rheumatology Group (APRG) and Juvenile Arthritis Foundation Australia (JAFA), the A3BC will identify the biological/environmental causes and phenotypic consequences of musculoskeletal conditions and combine these with a broad range of patient and population health datasets, to uncover unknown patterns and associations for safer, more effective and evidence-based prevention, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis strategies.

Aside from the collection of high-quality, diverse-use biospecimens, the most innovative element in the A3BC vision is the establishment of a level of data analysis and integration not seen before in Australia. The A3BC will link broad biospecimen-derived biological (‘omic’) data, patient-reported outcome data, cross-jurisdictional electronic medical records, pathology and medical imaging data, Commonwealth health datasets (MBS, PBS, AIR), national cancer and death registries, and longitudinal studies, into a comprehensive platform for discovery and change.

Initially focused on Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis and Vasculitis (including Polymyalgia Rheumatica, the network and infrastructure of the A3BC, once established, will provide a platform to expand biospecimen and data collection to other key high-burden MSK conditions, such as Sjogren's Syndrome, Lower Back Pain, Gout, Scleroderma, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Myositis and Osteoarthritis.

Built upon a national network of consolidated biobank/research infrastructure and leading research/clinical expertise, the A3BC promises a new paradigm in evidence generation for more responsive policy and practice decision-making, and a cost-effective research platform to efficiently uncover vital patient and population data associations to drive a new era in disease diagnosis, therapy, prognosis and hopefully - prevention and cure.