Qatar Foundation’s Equine Veterinary Medical Centre (EVMC) has launched its biobank, which will focus on the genetic preservation, long-term storage, and retrieval of biological samples from horses.
EVMC’s biobank, named Inara, represents a national repository for storing valuable biological specimens such as DNA, stem cells and tissue samples. Inara will offer animal owners the ability to safeguard valuable genetic information and secure stem cells extracted at EVMC’s regenerative medicine laboratory.
Animals’ stem cells can be used to help restore the function of their damaged tissues, such as tendons, ligaments and cartilage. The success of this is highly dependent on how quickly after injury the treatment can be delivered and thus having a readily available repository of stem cells samples ensures that horses can receive timely and precise care.
Dr. Tatiana Vinardell Head – Research & Education EVMC
“The launch of Inara was a natural progression for EVMC in becoming a major regional and international stakeholder of equine veterinary regenerative medicine. This platform will enhance the quality of precision medicine treatments and will contribute to the advancement of equine health.”
Inara is also a key resource for researchers, as EVMC allows research groups to conduct vital research using Inara’s stored samples and their associated data. This research is crucial in driving scientific breakthroughs, helping develop new drugs, genetic tests, treatments and creating public health strategies that will benefit animals.
It aims to serve the equestrian community by providing a safe long-term storage solution for valuable animal biological samples and by promoting translational research that is more effective and better targeted for animals in Qatar and beyond.
Inara is currently preparing to undergo ISO/IEC 20387:2018 assessment, the international gold standard for biobanking, to become one of the few ISO accredited animal biobanks worldwide.
