Biopreservation and Biobanking最新文献

Background: Biobanks form key research support infrastructures that ensure the highest sample quality for scientific research. Their activity must align closely and proportionally to the interests of researchers, donors, and society. Informed consent (IC) is a central tool to guarantee the protection of donors' rights and interests. Aim: This study aimed to analyze the challenges of obtaining IC for biobanking in clinical settings and ways to improve this process. Methods: Biobank Bellvitge University Hospital HUB-ICO-IDIBELL in Barcelona received 8671 IC forms between 2017 and 2020. The mistakes that caused IC forms to be rejected by the Biobank were analyzed. In addition, interventions aimed at physicians to improve the IC process were evaluated through a calculation of the relative risk (RR). Finally, physicians who submitted samples to the Biobank, most of whom are involved in research activities, were surveyed about the barriers to collecting IC and how to improve this process. Results: During 2017-2020, 19.6% of IC forms were rejected. The most relevant cause of rejection was the use of outdated IC forms, followed by missing patient information or mistakes having been made by the physician. Evaluation of the rejection rates before and after interventions to improve the IC process suggests significant improvement (27.7% before interventions (January 2017-May 2018) compared to 9.6% after interventions (February-December 2020), RR 0.4 95% CI 0.34-0.47; p < 0.0001). According to the physicians, the most important barrier to collecting IC is the time constraint, and they consider digitalization as a viable solution. Conclusions: Our research offers a view of the less well-understood practical challenges that physicians and biobanks face when collecting IC in clinical settings. It suggests that, despite multiple challenges, continuous monitoring, training, and information programs for physicians are key to optimizing the IC process in clinical settings.

Antioxidants can be used in sperm cryopreservation protocols to reduce oxidative stress that occurs due to the cryopreservation process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of melatonin supplementation on quality and oxidative stress parameters in cryopreserved canine sperm. Eighteen sperm ejaculates were collected from 6 Frenchie Bulldog males (3 collections per male). Sperm motility parameters, membrane integrity, and sperm morphology were analyzed before the cryopreservation process. The extender used in cryopreservation was composed of Tris-egg yolk and ethylene glycol 5% was added as a cryoprotectant. The cryoprotective medium was supplemented with 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 mM melatonin, and the control group (without melatonin). Post-thaw sperm was evaluated as described for fresh sperm and oxidative stress parameters (lipid peroxidation, catalase, and superoxide dismutase). Post-thaw sperm motility parameters, membrane integrity, sperm morphology, and oxidative stress parameters did not differ (p > 0.05) among the control group and samples supplemented with melatonin. The results of this study showed that melatonin supplementation had no positive or negative effect on the parameters evaluated. Thus, it is suggested that different concentrations of melatonin be tested to assess its effectiveness as an antioxidant in the cryopreservation process in canine sperm.

Background: Biobanking the reproductive tissues or cells of animals preserves the genetic and reproductive ability of the species in long-term storage and promotes sharing of reproductive materials. In avian species, the primordial germ cell (PGC) is one of the most promising reproductive cells to be preserved in biobanks, due to self-renewal properties and direct access to the germ line mediated by PGC transfer. Methods: To conserve the genetic resource of local chicken breeds that are of conservation importance, we systematically isolated two types of pregonadal PGCs from chicken embryos-circulating and tissue PGCs. PGCs of individual embryos were separately isolated, cultured, and cryopreserved. Characteristics of cultured PGCs are described and evaluated. Results: The efficiency of PGC isolation from individual embryos was 98.9% (660/667). In most cases, both matching circulating and tissue PGC lines were isolated from the same embryo (68.2%, 450/660), whereas the remaining lines were from a single source, being either tissue (30.6%, 202/660) or circulating (1.2%, 8/660). Efficient PGC isolation and proliferation can be expected in cultures of circulating PGCs (68.7% and 64.3%, respectively) and tissue PGCs (97.8% and 80.7%, respectively). Following cryopreservation, recovered cells sustained PGC identities including expression of chicken vasa homolog and deleted in azoospermia-like proteins and migration ability to recipient embryonic gonads. Culture conditions equally supported proliferation of circulating and tissue PGCs from both sexes. Combining tissue PGC culture in the regimen prevented 30.3% loss of PGC cultures in the case where circulating PGC culture was ineffective. Cultured circulating and tissue PGCs were similar in morphology, but optimal culture characteristics were different. Conclusion: We applied the approach of PGC isolation from blood and tissue origins on a wide scale and demonstrated its efficiency for biobanking chicken PGCs. The workflow can be operated effectively almost year-round in a tropical climate. It was also described in ample and practical details, which are suitable for adoption or optimization in other conditions.

Biobanking defines all activities linked to bioresource management-whether of human, animal, microbial, or environmental origin-which means that any biobank information management system should take into account the multistep life cycle of the samples: from acquisition, through preparation, storage, to distribution to the end users (medical or research teams). Different types of biobanks can use diverse approaches, making it difficult to find software that can handle all types of scenarios. Modul-Bio has developed MBioLIMS BioBanking^®, a software dedicated to biobanking, as a modular solution so that our various clients can access the functionalities and scale in a system to match their needs. These projects range from biobanks setup and managed by academic institutions, hospitals, and private companies to small and large clinical trials across different countries, as well as to whole campus or organization solutions for multiple biorepositories. Each solution differs in size, requirements, and number of users, from small biobanks with a few members of staff accessing the software to large operations with multiple sites that can collect and ship samples to a centralized site. This article explores different projects that use Modul-Bio's software in a myriad of ways to manage the complete life cycle of biospecimens and associated data.

Background: Cold-chain storage can be challenging and expensive for the transportation and storage of biologics, especially in low-resource settings. Nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) are an example of new biological products that require refrigerated storage. Light-assisted drying (LAD) is a new processing technique to prepare biologics for anhydrous storage in a trehalose amorphous solid matrix at ambient temperatures. In this study, LAD was used to thermally stabilize four types of NANPs with differing structures and melting temperatures. Methods: Small volume samples (10 μL) containing NANPs were irradiated with a 1064 nm laser to speed the evaporation of water and create an amorphous trehalose preservation matrix. Samples were then stored for 1 month at 4°C or 20°C. A FLIR C655 mid-IR camera was used to record the temperature of samples during processing. The trehalose matrix was characterized using polarized light imaging (PLI) to determine if crystallization occurred during processing or storage. Damage to LAD-processed NANPs was assessed after processing and storage using gel electrophoresis. Results: Based on the end moisture content (EMC) as a function time and the thermal histories of samples, a LAD processing time of 30 min is sufficient to achieve low EMCs for the 10 μL samples used in this study. PLI demonstrates that the trehalose matrix was resistant to crystallization during processing and after storage at 4°C and at room temperature. The native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis results for DNA cubes, RNA cubes, and RNA rings indicate that the main structures of these NANPs were not damaged significantly after LAD processing and being stored at 4°C or at room temperature for 1 month. Conclusions: These preliminary studies indicate that LAD processing can stabilize NANPs for dry-state storage at room temperature, providing an alternative to refrigerated storage for these nanomedicine products.

Background: Antibodies with the specialized ability to fight infection can be found in the blood of individuals who have recovered from or have been vaccinated against COVID-19. As a result, plasma from these individuals could be used to treat critically ill patients. This treatment is known as convalescent plasma (CCP) therapy. Methods: Plasma units from 1555 consented healthy blood bank donors were collected from February to September 2021. Blood units were tested for the quantitative determination of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus using one of the following assays based on the availability of the kits: The LIAISON^® SARS-CoV-2 TrimericS IgG assay or the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assay. Results: Among the tested donors, 1027 participants tested positive for neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies (66.04%). There were 484 donors whose plasma qualified to be used for CCP therapy (47.13%) and 214 CCP units were stored in the COVID-19 convalescent biobank. Conclusion: We were able to identify and store 214 fresh frozen plasma units qualified for CCP-plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients according to World Health Organization standards. Hence, we established the first COVID-19-convalescent plasma data and plasma biobank for treating COVID-19-infected cancer patients in Jordan and the region.