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Journal of Molecular Medicine (Berlin,... Apr 2021Organoid technology has rapidly transformed basic biomedical research and contributed to significant discoveries in the last decade. With the application of protocols to... (Review)
Review
Organoid technology has rapidly transformed basic biomedical research and contributed to significant discoveries in the last decade. With the application of protocols to generate organoids from cancer tissue, organoid technology has opened up new opportunities for cancer research and therapy. Using organoid cultures derived from healthy tissues, different aspects of tumour initiation and progression are widely studied including the role of pathogens or specific cancer genes. Cancer organoid cultures, on the other hand, are applied to generate biobanks, perform drug screens, and study mutational signatures. With the incorporation of cellular components of the tumour microenvironment such as immune cells into the organoid cultures, the technology is now also exploited in the rapidly advancing field of immuno-oncology. In this review, I discuss how organoid technology is currently being utilised in cancer research and what obstacles are still to be overcome for its broader use in anti-cancer therapy.
Topics: Biological Specimen Banks; Carcinogenesis; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; DNA Mutational Analysis; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Epithelial Cells; Forecasting; Genes, Neoplasm; Humans; Medical Oncology; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasms; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Organoids; Stem Cell Research; Translational Research, Biomedical; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 33057820
DOI: 10.1007/s00109-020-01990-z -
Fertility and Sterility Jun 2021This document provides the latest recommendations for the evaluation of potential sperm, oocyte, and embryo donors as well as their recipients, incorporating recent... (Review)
Review
This document provides the latest recommendations for the evaluation of potential sperm, oocyte, and embryo donors as well as their recipients, incorporating recent information about optimal screening and testing for sexually transmitted infections, genetic diseases, and psychological assessments. This revised document incorporates recent information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Food and Drug Administration, and American Association of Tissue Banks, which all programs offering gamete and embryo donation services must be thoroughly familiar with, and replaces the document titled "Recommendations for gamete and embryo donation: a committee opinion," last published in 2013.
Topics: Consensus; Counseling; Donor Selection; Embryo Disposition; Female; Genetic Testing; Health Status; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Oocyte Donation; Preconception Care; Pregnancy; Reproductive Medicine; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Semen; Tissue Donors
PubMed: 33838871
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.01.045 -
Briefings in Bioinformatics Nov 2019Precision medicine is rapidly emerging as a strategy to tailor medical treatment to a small group or even individual patients based on their genetics, environment and... (Review)
Review
Precision medicine is rapidly emerging as a strategy to tailor medical treatment to a small group or even individual patients based on their genetics, environment and lifestyle. Precision medicine relies heavily on developments in systems biology and omics disciplines, including metabolomics. Combination of metabolomics with sophisticated bioinformatics analysis and mathematical modeling has an extreme power to provide a metabolic snapshot of the patient over the course of disease and treatment or classifying patients into subpopulations and subgroups requiring individual medical treatment. Although a powerful approach, metabolomics have certain limitations in technology and bioinformatics. We will review various aspects of metabolomics technology and bioinformatics, from data generation, bioinformatics analysis, data fusion and mathematical modeling to data management, in the context of precision medicine.
Topics: Computational Biology; Humans; Metabolomics; Precision Medicine; Tissue Banks
PubMed: 29304189
DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbx170 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2021The field of tissue engineering has progressed tremendously over the past few decades in its ability to fabricate functional tissue substitutes for regenerative medicine... (Review)
Review
The field of tissue engineering has progressed tremendously over the past few decades in its ability to fabricate functional tissue substitutes for regenerative medicine and pharmaceutical research. Conventional scaffold-based approaches are limited in their capacity to produce constructs with the functionality and complexity of native tissue. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting offers exciting prospects for scaffolds fabrication, as it allows precise placement of cells, biochemical factors, and biomaterials in a layer-by-layer process. Compared with traditional scaffold fabrication approaches, 3D bioprinting is better to mimic the complex microstructures of biological tissues and accurately control the distribution of cells. Here, we describe recent technological advances in bio-fabrication focusing on 3D bioprinting processes for tissue engineering from data processing to bioprinting, mainly inkjet, laser, and extrusion-based technique. We then review the associated bioink formulation for 3D bioprinting of human tissues, including biomaterials, cells, and growth factors selection. The key bioink properties for successful bioprinting of human tissue were summarized. After bioprinting, the cells are generally devoid of any exposure to fluid mechanical cues, such as fluid shear stress, tension, and compression, which are crucial for tissue development and function in health and disease. The bioreactor can serve as a simulator to aid in the development of engineering human tissues from in vitro maturation of 3D cell-laden scaffolds. We then describe some of the most common bioreactors found in the engineering of several functional tissues, such as bone, cartilage, and cardiovascular applications. In the end, we conclude with a brief insight into present limitations and future developments on the application of 3D bioprinting and bioreactor systems for engineering human tissue.
Topics: Biological Specimen Banks; Bioprinting; Bioreactors; Humans; Printing, Three-Dimensional; Regenerative Medicine; Tissue Engineering; Tissue Scaffolds
PubMed: 33921417
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083971 -
Virchows Archiv : An International... Aug 2021The term "biobanking" is often misapplied to any collection of human biological materials (biospecimens) regardless of requirements related to ethical and legal issues... (Review)
Review
The term "biobanking" is often misapplied to any collection of human biological materials (biospecimens) regardless of requirements related to ethical and legal issues or the standardization of different processes involved in tissue collection. A proper definition of biobanks is large collections of biospecimens linked to relevant personal and health information (health records, family history, lifestyle, genetic information) that are held predominantly for use in health and medical research. In addition, the International Organization for Standardization, in illustrating the requirements for biobanking (ISO 20387:2018), stresses the concept of biobanks being legal entities driving the process of acquisition and storage together with some or all of the activities related to collection, preparation, preservation, testing, analysing and distributing defined biological material as well as related information and data. In this review article, we aim to discuss the basic principles of biobanking, spanning from definitions to classification systems, standardization processes and documents, sustainability and ethical and legal requirements. We also deal with emerging specimens that are currently being generated and shaping the so-called next-generation biobanking, and we provide pragmatic examples of cancer-associated biobanking by discussing the process behind the construction of a biobank and the infrastructures supporting the implementation of biobanking in scientific research.
Topics: Accreditation; Biological Specimen Banks; Biomedical Research; Guidelines as Topic; Humans; Policy Making; Precision Medicine; Specimen Handling; Stakeholder Participation; Terminology as Topic
PubMed: 34255145
DOI: 10.1007/s00428-021-03151-0 -
Stem Cells Translational Medicine Apr 2020Human pulp stem cells (PSCs) include dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) isolated from dental pulp tissues of human extracted permanent teeth and stem cells from human... (Review)
Review
Human pulp stem cells (PSCs) include dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) isolated from dental pulp tissues of human extracted permanent teeth and stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED). Depending on their multipotency and sensitivity to local paracrine activity, DPSCs and SHED exert therapeutic applications at multiple levels beyond the scope of the stomatognathic system. This review is specifically concentrated on PSC-updated biological characteristics and their promising therapeutic applications in (pre)clinical practice. Biologically, distinguished from conventional mesenchymal stem cell markers in vitro, NG2, Gli1, and Celsr1 have been evidenced as PSC markers in vivo. Both perivascular cells and glial cells account for PSC origin. Therapeutically, endodontic regeneration is where PSCs hold the most promises, attributable of PSCs' robust angiogenic, neurogenic, and odontogenic capabilities. More recently, the interplay between cell homing and liberated growth factors from dentin matrix has endowed a novel approach for pulp-dentin complex regeneration. In addition, PSC transplantation for extraoral tissue repair and regeneration has achieved immense progress, following their multipotential differentiation and paracrine mechanism. Accordingly, PSC banking is undergoing extensively with the intent of advancing tissue engineering, disease remodeling, and (pre)clinical treatments.
Topics: Animals; Biological Specimen Banks; Dental Pulp; Humans; Regeneration; Stem Cell Transplantation; Stem Cells; Tooth, Deciduous
PubMed: 31943813
DOI: 10.1002/sctm.19-0398 -
Turk Patoloji Dergisi 2020Biobanks are units where high quality and long-term protection of biomaterials is maintained. This system, in which biological materials and data are systematically... (Review)
Review
Biobanks are units where high quality and long-term protection of biomaterials is maintained. This system, in which biological materials and data are systematically recorded and stored, is a unique resource for the study of the pathophysiology of disease, the development of diagnostic biomarkers, and working with human tissues for the potential discovery of targeted therapeutic agents. At this point, the pathology unit plays a unifying and complementary role between the clinical and core disciplines and offers optimal management of the patients' biomaterials for diagnostic and research projects. The aim of this article is to present general information with regard to a biobank constructed for the storage of tumor tissue and blood biospecimens. Ethical issues (informed consent, protection of confidentiality and privacy, and secondary use of biospecimens) and the information technology system (collection, systematic recording, backup and protection of clinical information) are important issues in biobanking. The selection of freezers to be used in storage (mechanical freezers, liquid-vapor nitrogen tanks), and if mechanical freezers are preferred the establishment of the relevant infrastructure and support team (such as additional power units for protection from power outages), the preservation of materials by aliquoting in different freezers, ensuring financing so as to afford the cost of the infrastructure, and implementation of all these dynamics while adhering to international guidelines are of the utmost importance.
Topics: Biological Specimen Banks; Humans; Pathology
PubMed: 32189322
DOI: 10.5146/tjpath.2020.01482 -
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular... 2020Hypothermia is widely used in the medical field to protect organs or tissues from damage. Different research fields have different explanations of the protection... (Review)
Review
Hypothermia is widely used in the medical field to protect organs or tissues from damage. Different research fields have different explanations of the protection mechanism of hypothermia. Hypothermia is also widely used in the field of ophthalmology, for example, in the eye bank, the preservation of corneal tissue and the preservation of the eyeball. Low temperature can also be applied to some ophthalmic diseases, such as allergic conjunctivitis, retinal ischemia, and retinal hypoxia. It is used to relieve eye symptoms or reduce tissue damage. Hypothermic techniques have important applications in ophthalmic surgery, such as corneal refractive surgery, vitrectomy surgery, and ciliary body cryotherapy for end-stage glaucoma. Hypothermia can reduce the inflammation of the cornea and protect the retinal tissue. The eyeball is a complex organ, including collagen tissue of the eyeball wall and retinal nerve tissue and retinal blood vessels. The mechanism of low temperature protecting eye tissue is complicated. It is important to understand the mechanism of hypothermia and its applications in ophthalmology. This review introduces the mechanism of hypothermia and its application in the eye banks, eye diseases (allergic conjunctivitis, retinal ischemia, and hypoxia), and eye surgeries (corneal transplant surgery, corneal refractive surgery, and vitrectomy).
Topics: Biomedical Research; Cornea; Cytoprotection; Eye Diseases; Humans; Hypothermia, Induced; Ocular Physiological Phenomena; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; Refractive Surgical Procedures; Retina
PubMed: 33381263
DOI: 10.1155/2020/3897168 -
Clinical Ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) 2021This review aims to outline current practices and guidelines of corneal donation and eye banking, describes the implications of COVID-19 and emerging diseases on the... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
This review aims to outline current practices and guidelines of corneal donation and eye banking, describes the implications of COVID-19 and emerging diseases on the corneal donor pool, and discusses future trends to improve and increase the efficiency of the processes involved in corneal donation and eye banking.
SUMMARY
Corneal screening, preservation, corneal storage, and prevention of systemic disease transmission from donor to recipient have been crucial in shaping the policies of the FDA and eye banks across the world. Eye banks globally have developed varying guidelines and criteria for evaluating the viability of donor corneas. Variables such as the age of the donor, medical history, and potential disease transmission are important screening parameters. While known infectious diseases may be transmissible through the cornea, emerging infectious diseases that are not well studied may be more transmissible than other infections. In particular, coronavirus has impacted corneal transplantation as SARS-CoV-2 expression has been detected in corneal tissue and conjunctiva. In recent years, partial-thickness corneal transplantations have been introduced. Lamellar grafts and other corneal layers are now utilized for transplantation of the specific areas that are damaged.
PubMed: 34285462
DOI: 10.2147/OPTH.S284617 -
Tumour Virus Research Jun 2021Decades of research on the human papillomavirus oncogenes, E6 and E7, have given us huge amounts of data on their expression, functions and structures. We know much... (Review)
Review
Decades of research on the human papillomavirus oncogenes, E6 and E7, have given us huge amounts of data on their expression, functions and structures. We know much about the very many cellular proteins and pathways that they influence in one way or another. However, much of this information is quite discrete, referring to one activity examined under one condition. It is now time to join the dots to try to understand a larger picture: how, where and when do all these interactions occur... and why? Examining these questions will also show how many of the yet obscure cellular processes work together for cellular and tissue homeostasis in health and disease.
Topics: Alphapapillomavirus; Humans; Oncogene Proteins, Viral; Oncogenes; Papillomaviridae; Papillomavirus E7 Proteins
PubMed: 33716206
DOI: 10.1016/j.tvr.2021.200213