FTC — Finnish Twin Cohort

Overview

The Finnish Twin Cohort (FTC) is a national twin registry and biobank coordinated by the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) at the University of Helsinki, used extensively for genetic epidemiology research into psychiatric, neurological, and behavioural traits. Established in the 1970s, it has enrolled cohorts of same-sex twin pairs across multiple waves, with DNA, biomarker, and genome-wide genotype data available for more than 14,000 participants. In 2018, FTC biological samples were transferred to the THL Biobank under Finnish biobanking legislation and subsequently combined into the FinnGen project, extending its genomic data into Finland’s national precision-medicine resource.

Access

Access to FTC register and questionnaire data is through Finnish national data permit processes handled by FinData and Statistics Finland. Biobank samples and genome-wide genotype data are applied for separately through THL Biobank.

Connections

• relatedTo: FinnGen (FTC biological samples, transferred to THL Biobank in 2018, were subsequently combined into the FinnGen project)

Resources

• https://thl.fi/en/research-and-development/thl-biobank/for-researchers/sample-collections/twin-study
• https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/twin-research-and-human-genetics/article/data-resource-profile-the-finnish-twinregistry-project/576F00D056764A36379080AA233C375D
• https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081947 (TWINGEN protocol, confirms FinnGen linkage)