Did you mean: biospecimens
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American Journal of Clinical Pathology Jan 2021Millions of biospecimens will be collected during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As learned from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), proper... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Millions of biospecimens will be collected during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As learned from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), proper biospecimen handling is necessary to prevent laboratory-related infections.
METHODS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) interim biosafety guidelines continue to be updated. Presented here are additional considerations intended to complement the interim guidance. These considerations draw on prior SARS recommendations and recent COVID-19 reports.
RESULTS
SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA has been detected in various biospecimen types; however, studies are needed to determine whether viral load indicates viable virus. Throughout the pandemic, biospecimens will be collected for various purposes from COVID-19 known and suspected cases, as well as presymptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Current data suggest the pandemic start may be as early as October 2019; thus, all biospecimens collected since could be considered potentially infectious.
CONCLUSIONS
All entities handling these biospecimens should do risk assessments in accordance with institutional policies and adhere to any guidance provided. The scientific community has a responsibility to safely handle and maintain all biospecimens collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Soon, it will be imperative to convene expert working groups to address the current and long-term storage and use of these biospecimens. Ideally, worldwide guidelines will be established to protect the personnel handling these biospecimens and communities at large.
Topics: Biological Specimen Banks; COVID-19; Clinical Laboratory Services; Global Health; Humans; Infection Control; Occupational Diseases; Pandemics; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Specimen Handling; Viral Load
PubMed: 32974640
DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqaa171 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2019An autopsy is a specialized surgical procedure consisting of external and internal examination of a deceased individual for the purposes of documenting abnormalities and... (Review)
Review
An autopsy is a specialized surgical procedure consisting of external and internal examination of a deceased individual for the purposes of documenting abnormalities and determining or confirming medical diagnoses that may have contributed to their death. One of the benefits of an autopsy is the opportunity to collect and store biospecimens for the purposes of biobanking. This chapter outlines the procedures necessary to procure, store, and utilize biospecimens obtained during an autopsy. With the emergence of molecular diagnostics, this chapter also discusses factors that influence the integrity of autopsy biospecimens prior to procurement. These include the postmortem interval, as well as premortem factors such as the patient's agonal state, biospecimen temperature, and pH.
Topics: Autopsy; Biological Specimen Banks; Humans; Pathology, Molecular; Quality Control; Specimen Handling; Temperature
PubMed: 30539436
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8935-5_8 -
British Medical Bulletin Jun 2015Biobanking refers to the infrastructure, policies and practices involved in collecting, processing, storing and disseminating biological samples. Biospecimen methods... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Biobanking refers to the infrastructure, policies and practices involved in collecting, processing, storing and disseminating biological samples. Biospecimen methods research to support biobanking through evidence-based practices is now recognized as critical to the success of biobanking and translational research.
SOURCES OF DATA
Data concerning biospecimen research have appeared in the literature for many years, primarily in journals and textbooks focused on clinical chemistry, epidemiology and pathology. Recently, new efforts have been initiated to support the development of evidence-based biobanking practices.
AREAS OF AGREEMENT
Generally, researchers who are engaged in studies involving biospecimen collection are aware of the effects of pre-analytical variables on their downstream analyses, and they normally take steps to control those variables to publish reproducible results. Knowledge of such biospecimen research data is often unknown in the clinical setting unless the researchers are engaged in a project requiring strict protocols.
AREAS OF CONTROVERSY
There is broad agreement of the need to develop evidence-based practices to achieve consistent quality for biospecimens and data. However, due to inconsistencies in the literature, there is some disagreement on whether biospecimens need to be collected according to a 'platinum' standard or local biobank standards for collecting samples as 'fit-for-purpose' will be sufficient.
GROWING POINTS
New and expanded efforts, on an international basis where possible, need to be developed to better harmonize biospecimen management practices.
AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH
Additional biospecimen methods research leading to the development of evidence-based practices is critical to translational research and personalized medicine.
Topics: Animals; Biological Specimen Banks; Biomarkers; Biomedical Research; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Precision Medicine; Specimen Handling; Translational Research, Biomedical; United Kingdom
PubMed: 25913285
DOI: 10.1093/bmb/ldv012 -
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers &... Dec 2014The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries have been a source of biospecimens for cancer research for decades.... (Review)
Review
The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries have been a source of biospecimens for cancer research for decades. Recently, registry-based biospecimen studies have become more practical, with the expansion of electronic networks for pathology and medical record reporting. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens are now used for next-generation sequencing and other molecular techniques. These developments create new opportunities for SEER biospecimen research. We evaluated 31 research articles published during 2005 to 2013 based on authors' confirmation that these studies involved linkage of SEER data to biospecimens. Rather than providing an exhaustive review of all possible articles, our intent was to indicate the breadth of research made possible by such a resource. We also summarize responses to a 2012 questionnaire that was broadly distributed to the NCI intra- and extramural biospecimen research community. This included responses from 30 investigators who had used SEER biospecimens in their research. The survey was not intended to be a systematic sample, but instead to provide anecdotal insight on strengths, limitations, and the future of SEER biospecimen research. Identified strengths of this research resource include biospecimen availability, cost, and annotation of data, including demographic information, stage, and survival. Shortcomings include limited annotation of clinical attributes such as detailed chemotherapy history and recurrence, and timeliness of turnaround following biospecimen requests. A review of selected SEER biospecimen articles, investigator feedback, and technological advances reinforced our view that SEER biospecimen resources should be developed. This would advance cancer biology, etiology, and personalized therapy research. See all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, "Biomarkers, Biospecimens, and New Technologies in Molecular Epidemiology." Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(12); 2681-7. ©2014 AACR.
Topics: Biomedical Research; Humans; National Cancer Institute (U.S.); Neoplasms; Risk Factors; SEER Program; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States
PubMed: 25472677
DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0490 -
Seminars in Oncology Nursing May 2014To provide an overview of emerging applications for and challenges associated with biospecimen collection for evaluating personalized disease risk and/or treatment... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
To provide an overview of emerging applications for and challenges associated with biospecimen collection for evaluating personalized disease risk and/or treatment response in cancer clinical trials.
DATA SOURCES
Published nursing and medical literature.
CONCLUSION
Blood- and tissue-based biomarkers are increasingly utilized to identify the molecular signatures of disease that can inform the determination of a course of treatment in a very precise manner. There are challenges for the oncology nurse related to specimen collection, processing, analysis, and translation to precision treatment.
IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
It is important for nurses to have appropriate training and a working understanding of the procedures for biospecimen collection and how biospecimen analyses can inform precision assessment of risk and prognosis.
Topics: Biological Assay; Biomarkers, Tumor; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Neoplasms; Oncology Nursing; Patient-Centered Care; Precision Medicine; Specimen Handling
PubMed: 24794085
DOI: 10.1016/j.soncn.2014.03.005 -
Mayo Clinic Proceedings Jan 2021Biospecimen research is a prominent investigative strategy that aims to provide novel insights into coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), inform clinical trials, and... (Review)
Review
Biospecimen research is a prominent investigative strategy that aims to provide novel insights into coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), inform clinical trials, and develop effective, life-saving treatments. However, COVID-19 biospecimen research raises accompanying ethical concerns and practical challenges for investigators and participants. In this special article, we discuss the ethical issues that are associated with autonomy, beneficence, and justice in COVID-19 biospecimen research and describe strategies to manage the practical challenges, with an emphasis on protecting the rights and welfare of human research participants during a pandemic response. Appropriate institutional review board oversight and bioethics guidance for COVID-19 biospecimen research must maintain their focus on protecting the rights and welfare of research participants, despite the urgent need for more knowledge about the virus and the threat it poses to communities and nations.
Topics: Biological Specimen Banks; Biomedical Research; COVID-19; Ethicists; Ethics Committees, Research; Ethics, Research; Humans; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 33413815
DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.10.021 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2022Over the last few years, new high-throughput biotechnologies and bioinformatic methods are revolutionizing our way of deep profiling tissue specimens at the molecular... (Review)
Review
Over the last few years, new high-throughput biotechnologies and bioinformatic methods are revolutionizing our way of deep profiling tissue specimens at the molecular levels. These recent innovations provide opportunities to advance our understanding of atherosclerosis using human lesions aborted during autopsies and cardiac surgeries. Studies on human lesions have been focusing on understanding the relationship between molecules in the lesions with tissue morphology, genetic risk of atherosclerosis, and future adverse cardiovascular events. This review will highlight ways to utilize human atherosclerotic lesions in translational research by work from large cardiovascular biobanks to tissue registries. We will also discuss the opportunities and challenges of working with human atherosclerotic lesions in the era of next-generation sequencing.
PubMed: 35872917
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.948492 -
Biopreservation and Biobanking Jun 2019Biospecimens are critical in driving health research. There is increased demand for scale and quality of biospecimens that in turn drives biobanking operational costs,...
Biospecimens are critical in driving health research. There is increased demand for scale and quality of biospecimens that in turn drives biobanking operational costs, influences utilization, and threatens the sustainability of individual biobanks. Biospecimen research has begun to inform the details of new biobanking standards and the steps of the biobanking process that are most important to focus on to achieve higher quality. This focus on quality is currently centered mostly on intrinsic features of biospecimens and their annotating data. This review highlights additional quality features that are important to researchers in determining the fit for purpose in their research. First, we define complex qualities as those that are mostly extrinsic to the individual biospecimen and data, and second, we provide data on the growth in demand for biospecimens with this type of quality in cancer research biobanks. Finally, we discuss why biospecimen complexity is a challenge for biobanks and utilization of existing collections, and provide examples of strategies biobanks can consider to improve their focus on this aspect of quality, as we predict that researcher demand for complex biospecimens will continue to expand in the future.
Topics: Biological Specimen Banks; Biomedical Research; Humans; Journal Impact Factor; Publications; Specimen Handling
PubMed: 31188632
DOI: 10.1089/bio.2018.0120 -
Biopreservation and Biobanking Aug 2019A substantial fraction of biomedical research depends on the reliability of human biospecimens but variations in sample manipulation during collection, processing, and...
A substantial fraction of biomedical research depends on the reliability of human biospecimens but variations in sample manipulation during collection, processing, and storage can differentially alter molecular integrity and influence interpretation of the resulting derived data. Details of biobanking processes are rarely adequately described in research publications, preventing reviewers, readers, and scientists seeking to replicate the findings, from appreciating and adequately considering preanalytical variations contributing to results. To address these shortcomings, a set of reporting guidelines, the Biospecimen Reporting for Improved Study Quality (BRISQ) criteria, were developed in 2011. In this study we evaluated the uptake and reporting of BRISQ criteria in 324 articles across four leading biomedical journals using human biospecimens and published before (161; in 2010) and after (163; in 2014) the delineation of the BRISQ guidelines. We found that even within journals recommending use of BRISQ, manuscript-level uptake. and reporting of the relevant biospecimen information is not widespread or uniform. In the future, an enhanced biospecimen reporting strategy to better serve the needs of researchers, reviewers, and journals may be considered to strengthen research reproducibility for the benefit of the research community at large.
Topics: Biological Specimen Banks; Biomedical Research; Humans; Publications; Quality Control; Research Design
PubMed: 31038358
DOI: 10.1089/bio.2018.0143 -
Journal of Cancer Education : the... Aug 2019Despite increasing rates of cancer, biospecimen donations for cancer research remains low among Pacific Islanders (PIs). To address this disparity, researchers partnered...
Despite increasing rates of cancer, biospecimen donations for cancer research remains low among Pacific Islanders (PIs). To address this disparity, researchers partnered with PI community organizations to develop and test a theory-based culturally tailored educational intervention designed to raise awareness about the issues surrounding biospecimen research. A total of 219 self-identified PI adults in Southern California were recruited to participate in a one-group pre-post design study. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed their knowledge and attitude regarding biospecimen research before and after viewing an educational video and receiving print materials. Results showed that participants' overall knowledge and attitude increased significantly from pre-test to post-test (p < .0001). Over 98% of participants also reported that they would be willing to donate at least one type of biospecimen sample. Efforts such as these that utilize culturally tailored education interventions may be instrumental in improving biospecimen donation rates in the PI community as well as other minority populations.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Biological Specimen Banks; California; Female; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; Neoplasms; Patient Participation; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tissue and Organ Procurement; Young Adult
PubMed: 29611143
DOI: 10.1007/s13187-018-1352-6