Biobank at the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine (CCPM)

a partnership between UCHealth and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

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Participation is easy and no extra appointments are needed.

  • Read and sign the biobank consent form in your My Health Connection patient portal.
  • The next time your doctor orders a blood draw an extra blood sample will be conveniently collected for the biobank at no cost to you.
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Already a biobank participant?

Read about what is new with the biobank, what we are doing and how you can become involved.

Interested in partnering with us?

Our industry partnerships make us stronger and impact our ability to advance personalized medicine.

Return of results

The biobank is starting to return some genetic results to participants who have had a genetic sample processed and who have consented to have their results returned. These are clinical genetic test results from a CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited laboratory that may be used by your provider or health care team to impact screening, diagnosis or treatment decisions.

There are three types of clinical genetic test results that the biobank may be able to return:

  • Disease risk: Results that may predict your risk of diseases including some types of cancer, heart disease, muscle disease and other diseases.
  • Pharmacogenetics: Results that may predict your response to certain medicines.
  • Other: Results that may predict your risk of developing certain diseases or conditions.
UCHealth - Biobank return of results.

Pharmacogenomics results

When you take a medicine (or a drug) your body needs to find a way to use it. Some proteins in your body break down (or metabolize) medicines. If you break down a medicine too fast or too slowly, this may cause the medicine to not work as well or it may cause a side effect.  By testing your DNA, we can find DNA differences that may provide information about how you may respond to certain medicines. Different genes can impact different medicines. This information is called pharmacogenomics.

Click on the gene name below to learn more about pharmacogenomic results that you might receive.

ABCG2

The ABCG2 gene gives instructions to your body to make a protein. The ABCG2 protein helps carry the medicine, rosuvastatin, so your body can use it. Rosuvastatin is used to help lower cholesterol.

The results of your ABCG2 gene test will place you into one of 3 groups:

  • Normal function – People in this group are likely to have normal working ABCG2 proteins.
  • Decreased function – People in this group may have reduced function of ABCG2 proteins.
  • Poor function – People in this group may have very little or no active ABCG2 protein.

Learn more about ABCG2.

Your ABCG2 gene test may help your doctor pick the right medicine and right dose for you.

The information you receive through this website is not intended to be medical advice.  The information you receive through this website will include genetic test results only.  If you need medical assistance, please seek care at an appropriate facility.  You should contact your doctor about any genetic test results that you receive from the biobank.  Do not stop using or change any of your medicines before speaking with your doctor.

CYP2C9

The CYP2C9 (say “SIP-2-see-9”) gene gives instructions to your body to make a protein. It is the job of the CYP2C9 protein to break down certain medicines. These medicines include: Some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – used for pain relief, Siponimod – used to treat multiple sclerosis, and Phenytoin and Fosphenytoin – used for seizures.

The results of your CYP2C9 gene test put you into one of 3 groups:

  • Normal metabolizer – People in this group are likely to have normal working CYP2C9 proteins.
  • Intermediate metabolizer – People in this group may have reduced activity of CYP2C9 proteins.
  • Poor metabolizer – People in this group may have very little or no active CYP2C9 protein.

Learn more about CYP2C9.

Your CYP2C9 gene test may help your doctor pick the right medicine and right dose for you.

The information you receive through this website is not intended to be medical advice.  The information you receive through this website will include genetic test results only.  If you need medical assistance, please seek care at an appropriate facility.  You should contact your doctor about any genetic test results that you receive from the biobank.  Do not stop using or change any of your medicines before speaking with your doctor.

CYP2C19

The CYP2C19 (say “SIP-2-see-19”) gene provides instructions to your body to make a protein. It is the job of the CYP2C19 protein to break down a variety of certain medicines. Only certain medicines are impacted by this gene.

The results of your CYP2C19 gene test will place you into one of 5 groups:

  • Normal metabolizer – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have normal working CYP2C19 proteins.
  • Poor metabolizer – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have very little or no active CYP2C19 proteins.
  • Intermediate metabolizer – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have reduced activity of CYP2C19 proteins.
  • Rapid metabolizer – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have high activity of CYP2C19 proteins.
  • Ultrarapid metabolizer – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have very high activity of CYP2C19 proteins.

Learn more about the medicines impacted by CYP2C19.

Your CYP2C19 gene test may help your doctor pick the right medicine and right dose for you.

The information you receive through this website is not intended to be medical advice.  The information you receive through this website will include genetic test results only.  If you need medical assistance, please seek care at an appropriate facility.  You should contact your doctor about any genetic test results that you receive from the biobank.  Do not stop using or change any of your medicines before speaking with your doctor.

DPYD

The DPYD gene provides instructions to your body to make a protein. It is the job of the DPYD protein to break down some medicines. These medicines include: Fluorouracil and Capecitabine, which are used in the treatment of some cancers. These are the medicines that we know of right now that are broken down by DPYD proteins and affected by DPYD gene test results. Experts keep on finding new data about which medicines are affected by gene test results.

The results of your DPYD gene test will place you into one of 3 groups:

  • Normal metabolizer – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have normal working DPYD proteins.
  • Intermediate metabolizer – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have reduced activity of DPYD proteins.
  • Poor metabolizer – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have very little or no active DPYD protein.

Learn more about DYPD.

Your DPYD gene test may help your doctor pick the right medicine and right dose for you.

The information you receive through this website is not intended to be medical advice.  The information you receive through this website will include genetic test results only.  If you need medical assistance, please seek care at an appropriate facility.  You should contact your doctor about any genetic test results that you receive from the biobank.  Do not stop using or change any of your medicines before speaking with your doctor.

NUDT15

The NUDT15 gene gives instructions to your body to make a protein. It is the job of the NUDT15 protein to break down certain medicines. These medicines include thiopurines and are used in the treatment of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and other conditions. Examples of these medicines are Azathioprine, Mercaptopurine, and Thioguanine.

The results of your NUDT15 gene test put you into one of 3 groups:

  • Normal metabolizer – People in this group are likely to have normal working NUDT15 proteins.
  • Intermediate metabolizer – People in this group may have reduced activity of NUDT15 proteins.
  • Poor metabolizer – People in this group may have very little or no active NUDT15 proteins.

Learn more about NUDT15.

Your NUDT15 gene test may help your doctor pick the right medicine and right dose for you.

The information you receive through this website is not intended to be medical advice.  The information you receive through this website will include genetic test results only.  If you need medical assistance, please seek care at an appropriate facility.  You should contact your doctor about any genetic test results that you receive from the biobank.  Do not stop using or change any of your medicines before speaking with your doctor

SLCO1B1

The SLCO1B1 gene provides instructions to your body to make a protein. This protein has a role in the body’s handling of certain medicines. These medicines include statins, which help lower cholesterol. These are the medicines that we know of right now that are broken down by SLCO1B1 proteins and affected by SLCO1B1 gene test results. Experts keep on finding new data about which medicines are affected by gene test results.

The results of your SLCO1B1 gene test will place you into one of 3 groups:

  • Normal function – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have normal working SLCO1B1 proteins.
  • Decreased function – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have reduced function of SLCO1B1 proteins.
  • Poor function – Your genetic test results indicate that you likely have very little or no working SLCO1B1 protein.

Learn more about SLCO1B1.

Your SLCO1B1 gene test may help your doctor pick the right medicine and right dose for you.

The information you receive through this website is not intended to be medical advice.  The information you receive through this website will include genetic test results only.  If you need medical assistance, please seek care at an appropriate facility.  You should contact your doctor about any genetic test results that you receive from the biobank.  Do not stop using or change any of your medicines before speaking with your doctor

TPMT

The TPMT gene gives instructions to your body to make a protein. It is the job of the TPMT protein to break down certain medicines. These medicines include thiopurines and are used in the treatment of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and other conditions. Examples of these medicines are Azathioprine, Mercaptopurine, and Thioguanine.

The results of your TPMT gene test put you into one of 3 groups:

  • Normal metabolizer – People in this group are likely to have normal working TPMT proteins.
  • Intermediate metabolizer – People in this group may have reduced activity of TPMT proteins.
  • Poor metabolizer – People in this group may have very little or no active TPMT protein.

Learn more about TPMT.

Your TPMT gene test may help your doctor pick the right medicine and right dose for you.

The information you receive through this website is not intended to be medical advice.  The information you receive through this website will include genetic test results only.  If you need medical assistance, please seek care at an appropriate facility.  You should contact your doctor about any genetic test results that you receive from the biobank.  Do not stop using or change any of your medicines before speaking with your doctor.

Frequently asked questions

What is personalized medicine and how does it work?

The goal of personalized medicine is to choose the right treatments for each patient based on their unique genetic makeup. By studying genetic information and health records from a large and diverse group of people enrolled in the biobank, researchers may find new ways to detect, treat and even prevent disease.

Why are you doing this research study?

We are enrolling patients across UCHealth into the biobank study to learn how genetic differences between people can affect health and disease. Learning more about this could, in the future, help us make discoveries that could improve healthcare for everyone.

What do I gain from joining the biobank?

When we analyze your genetic sample, we may also learn something that is medically relevant for you. If you signed a biobank consent that allows us to return results, we may share medically relevant information with you. We cannot guarantee that we will find such information to give to you.

The primary goal of this research program is to help researchers understand how our genes affect health. Your contribution may help further the research needed to improve future medical care. These improvements may help us better fight the diseases that affect you, your loved ones, future generations and the community at large.

Will I be paid to be in the study?

You will not receive payment for being part of this research study. You will not have to pay anything to be in this study. You and your insurance carrier will not be billed for donating a sample to the biobank.

How much does it cost to participate? Will I or my insurance be billed for biobank clinical genetic results?

Participation in the biobank and initial results information is free of charge as part of the research program.

Why do you need a genetic sample from me?

If you enroll in the biobank, we will collect a blood sample when you are having your next routine blood draw at a UCHealth facility. There may also be opportunities to provide a saliva sample.

We take a blood or saliva sample from you so that we can look at your DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA is where we store information that we inherit from our parents; that information directs how we grow and develop. DNA holds your genetic code. It lives in every one of your body’s cells. We analyze DNA to understand how peoples’ genetic information differs. We also store some of your sample for future research.

How will my sample be identified?

As with any sample provided to a laboratory, the blood or saliva collection tubes have some personal details such as your name and date of birth to identify the sample. When the sample is used for research, it is given a unique code and only the biobank can link the code to your personal information.

Researchers outside the biobank will generally not have access to information that can directly identify you, such as your name, address or medical record number. Such information may be required by researchers for certain types of research. This would only happen with permission from the Access to Biobank Committee and the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board (COMIRB). COMIRB is an administrative body that protects the rights and welfare of human research subjects.

How long do you keep my sample?

If you decide to be in this study, there is no limit on the length of time we will store your samples and health information. We may keep using them for research unless you decide to stop participating or we close the biobank. Since there is no time limit for storage of samples you will only need to provide one blood or saliva sample.

Can I look at my own genetic sample?

No. A large amount of information is generated when we process your sample. The vast majority of it is information that is only valuable for research purposes at this time. Because of the data size and the unknown impact we are not returning data to participants at this time.

Why am I being asked to consent for the biobank again?

If you previously enrolled and are being asked to update your consent, it is because the original biobank consent form was limited in scope and information. The updated consent form contains added information about the biobank research study, your rights as a participant, how we share information and the potential return of genetic test results.

Will I receive results from my genetic sample?

We may learn something that is important to your health when we process your sample. If you signed a biobank consent that allows us to return results, we may be able to return results to you. For more information about the types of results we may be able to return and how these will be returned, visit this web page.

We cannot guarantee that everyone will receive results as this is primarily a research project to make general discoveries about health and risk of disease using data analysis of large populations. For many people, we will not find any relevant clinical genetic test results to report. Also, not all participant samples will have genetic testing done on them.

Will I receive a notification about what type of research my sample will be used for?

We update participants on the types of research that is being done with biobank data, but we will not be able to tell participants which studies their sample or data is used for. Participants will not be able to choose which studies their data is used for.

What research will you do with my sample?

We will use your sample and health information for many types of research, including studies that look at how differences in our genetic information affect risk for certain diseases and how we process medications.

How is my information in the biobank shared?

By sharing data, we hope to help researchers to conduct more research on health conditions with the goal of finding better treatments. We will share data on biobank participants with research partners who have the proper approvals. We will also share some of the genetic data we have generated in databases such as dbGaP, which stands for “Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes” that is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data shared with dbGaP is de-identified to remove personal information such as names, addresses and date of birth. We may also share de-identified data with industry partners, including those who are developing new drugs or treatments.

What protections are in place for my health information and sample?

We take the protection of your privacy very seriously. We follow federal privacy laws and health care regulations to protect your information. Any data shared through our partnerships does not contain personal or identifying information. All information used by the biobank research study will be protected using secure computers and locked files, so that only authorized people can access it.

Is genetic information protected by law?

A federal law, called the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), generally makes it illegal for health insurance companies, group health plans and most employers to discriminate against you based on your genetic information. Individual states have their own protections related to genetic information.

What if I have other questions?

If you have further questions about this study, please call the biobank at 303.724.9944 or email us at [email protected].

If you have questions about your rights as a research subject or the conduct of this study, please contact the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board (COMIRB) at 303.724.1055.

Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine

1890 N. Revere Court
Mailstop F563
Aurora, CO 80045

303.724.9944
[email protected]
COMIRB Protocol #15-0461
Casey Greene


Withdrawing from the biobank

You can withdraw from the biobank research study at any time. If you would like to withdraw, please complete our online form. Once withdrawn, any unused samples will be destroyed. Any information from your sample that has already been used for research cannot be destroyed.