Biopreservation and Biobanking最新文献

Introduction: Handling, freezing, and thawing of sperm causes oxidative stress, compromising sperm quality. Nanotechnology offers platforms for the smart delivery of antioxidants during these processes.

Objectives: A solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) was used to deliver linalool, as an antioxidant supplementation to Naval Medical Research Institute mouse sperm during handling, freezing, and thawing.

Methods: Linalool-loaded solid lipid nanoparticle (L-SLN) was made using the self-assembly method. After the assessment of physicochemical properties, the impact of L-SLN (10, 20, 30, and 50 µg/mL) on sperm motility, viability, sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), nitric oxide (NO) production, and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT), was investigated after its addition to the handling, freezing, and thawing media.

Results: L-SLN was successfully created with a size of 262 ± 9.5 and a zeta potential of -28.5 ± 7.12, with an extended-release over time. During handling and freezing, supplementing corresponding media with L-SLN resulted in increased sperm motility and viability, specifically at 30 µg/mL. The percentage of SDF also decreased in post-thawed sperm at 30 µg/mL. L-SLN also led to elevated post-thawed NO production at 20 µg/mL, as well as increased SOD activity at 20 and 30 µg/mL. It also enhanced CAT and GPx activity at 30 and 10 µg/mL respectively. In handling media, L-SLN at 10 µg/mL could enhance NO production, CAT, and SOD activity, and at 20 µg/mL also boosted NO production and GPx activity. Generally, there was no significant improvement in sperm parameters with the mutual concentration of L-SLN for thawing media.

Conclusions: Treating sperm extender media with 20 and 30 µg/mL of L-SLN and handling media with 10 and 30 µg/mL of L-SLN could improve sperm parameters following these interventions. L-SLN is a new antioxidant for sperm handling and freezing media, which may be applicable in human reproductive efforts.

Biobanks can consume a lot of financial resources and some biobanks have a poor record of utilization. This suggests the need for better planning by these biobanks around what new biospecimens to collect and store and more deliberate approaches to determine the value of existing biospecimen collections to make operational decisions. Existing biospecimen collections may comprise part of the biobank inventory (where decisions are needed around availability or continued storage) or external collections (where decisions are needed to consider their addition to the inventory). However, there has been limited discussion about how to value these collections. This paper proposes a guideline for the valuation of existing collections based on a two-stage process that involves consideration of features under two broad categories: "ELSI" factors and "Biospecimen and Data" factors. The first "initial-valuation" stage is based on the consideration of five key questions related to each of the main factors and will, in many instances, suffice. This approach can identify salient features of a collection that may have a dominant impact on the value. However, in other instances, a second "extended-valuation" stage may be needed to make a more in-depth assessment of the features of a collection. The overall value can then be summarized and/or assigned a score and compared with valuations of comparable collections. The latter might include another collection occupying a similar storage volume within the biobank, a collection from a similar group of donors, or a similar collection stored by another affiliated biobank. In summary, we hope that these guidelines and discussion serve to highlight key factors and an approach to valuing existing collections to improve biobanking efficiency and sustainability.

Biobankers rely on their experience, supplemented with a variety of tools, to help establish and sustain their operations. These tools support operations, cost determination, quality management, and governance. Costing tools have often been used to determine the economic value of a single specimen or an entire collection, with the purpose of allowing researchers to recover costs when providing access to those resources. Until recently, biobank managers have focused on deriving sample value based solely on cost-model analyses. We propose an alternative way to value collections using a web-based, automated tool for biobankers to determine the noneconomic value of biospecimen collections. The tool supports fit-for-purpose determinations for collections using common attributes and defined criteria to facilitate broader sample utility, sharing, and overall sustainability in operations.

Introduction: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 20387:2018 outlines general requirements for biobanks to ensure competence, impartiality, and uniform operation. Reasons for seeking ISO 20387 accreditation are improved compliance, international recognition, and increased credibility of a biobank.

Methods: The Philip Morris International (PMI) BioBank is an in-house biobank of an ISO/GxP-driven, for-profit organization. A cross-functional team analyzed ISO 20387 requirements and assessed them against the existing quality management system (QMS) to identify gaps and develop a remediation plan. This allowed the development of an implementation plan with clear timelines. An audit room was reserved for the auditor and PMI BioBank representatives for the two-day audit. In the second room, a group of internal experts were available to answer the auditor's questions, prepare solutions, and bring them to the audit room.

Results: The gap analysis did not reveal any relevant deficits, given that the PMI BioBank follows the corporate QMS mainly based on ISO 17025. However, numerous checklist items require more specific adjustments to the existing QMS. Therefore, a corrective and preventive action (CAPA) was opened to demonstrate that gaps were identified and brought under control during the audit process. Four key areas required documentation employee competencies, complaint management, conduction of risk analysis, and impartiality maintenance. The audit lasted two days. One minor deviation was addressed with a detailed explanation of the process and was accepted by the auditor.

Conclusions: Being part of an ISO/GxP-driven organization allowed the PMI BioBank to go through the ISO 20387 accreditation process rapidly. However, there was a noteworthy need for financial and manpower resources. Still, the benefits of demonstrating highly standardized processes are impactful as they enhance compliance and gain internal and external recognition, credibility, and reputation of an organization.

Biobanking is essential for advancing precision medicine. However, challenges persist in raising public awareness and addressing data protection concerns. This brief report outlines dissemination strategies by the Central Biobank Regensburg (Zentrale Biobank Regensburg-ZBR) and the BRoTHER (Biobank Research on Telemedical Approaches for Human Biobanks in a European Region) network to engage relevant target groups. In this context, five key recommendations are derived: (1) tailoring communication to audience needs, (2) using diverse outreach methods, (3) enhancing digital presence, (4) fostering cross-border collaboration, and (5) securing dedicated funding. These strategies aim to promote the social and scientific benefits of biobanking while ensuring its sustainability.

Introduction: Biobanks of specimens of human origin have accumulated millions of specimens. Their storage is costly, while many of them may not be useful and should be culled.

Objectives: Our objective was to develop, pilot test, and evaluate a quantitative culling tool.

Methods: We developed a culling tool based on a series of parameters with a quantitative score attributed to each. The parameters of the culling tool correspond to different aspects of the value of collections, such as the richness of the associated data, the types of samples, their conservation mode, and regulatory constraints.

Results: The culling tool was adapted and independently applied by the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics and the Biological Resource Center of Institut Pasteur biobanks. The cumulative final score supported evidence-based and standardized decision-making. A "diagnostic" threshold could be established for the "diagnosis" of collections of low value.

Conclusion: The culling tool is an algorithm developed to assess the value of legacy collections of biological resources of human origin and help establish culling plans. Biobanks can use this culling tool when they periodically assess the value of stored collections and need to decide or advise to cull them, and also when deciding whether to accept requests to host new collections previously stored elsewhere.

Background: Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the major contributors to platelet storage lesions. Addition of antioxidant additives to storage solutions can mitigate oxidative damage to platelets. Caffeic acid (CA) is a polyphenolic compound that directly scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibits lipid peroxidation, and modulates platelet function signaling pathways. This is the first study to investigate the influence of CA on stored platelets.

Methodology: Platelets obtained from the blood of male Wistar rats (n = 5 per group) were resuspended in SSP+ combined with plasma at 70:30 ratio. ROS was analyzed during a 7-day storage period for different concentrations of CA. The concentration of CA that exhibited maximum inhibition was chosen for further studies. Platelets (n = 5) were divided into (1) controls and (2) CA and stored at 22°C under mild agitation for 11 days. The markers of platelet function, viability, OS, and antioxidant defenses were analyzed.

Results: CA at 5 µM concentration (5-CA) showed maximum inhibition of ROS on day 7; hence, was chosen for further assays. 5-CA augmented antioxidant defenses, decreased lipid peroxidation, and scavenged superoxide radicals compared with controls. Decline in platelet activation, aggregation without collagen, and microbial contamination were also observed in 5-CA. Platelet viability and metabolism were maintained; lactate dehydrogenase decreased by the end of storage in 5-CA.

Conclusion: 5-CA in SSP+ could preserve the quality of stored platelets until day 7 of storage. This study emphasizes the potential of CA as an additive in platelet storage solutions in prolonging the shelf-life of platelets and maintaining their efficacy.

Introduction: Even with the significant advancements in sperm cryopreservation, the addition of intracellular or extracellular antioxidants in preparation and freezing media remains an understudied topic.

Objective: We examined the effects of hypotaurine and melatonin on the routine and functional tests of sperm and the expression of HspA2 and Caspase9 during the human sperm rapid freezing process.

Methods: Following the collection of 34 normospermia semen samples, each sample was split into four experimental groups: fresh (F), freezing control (C) (human tubal fluid medium and 0.5M sucrose), and two freezing groups with the inclusion of 2 mM melatonin (MEL) and 50 mM hypotaurine (HYP). A straw held 100 μL of the sample, which was then cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen to accomplish rapid freezing. Before and after rapid freezing-thawing, the sperm classical parameters and the expression levels of HspA2 and Caspase9 were assessed.

Results: The HYP group exhibited higher normal morphology (p < 0.001), viability (p < 0.001), and higher acrosome integrity (p < 0.001) and lower DNA fragmentation index (DFI) (p < 0.001) than the C and MEL groups. No significant difference was observed in the total and progressive motility percentage among the antioxidant and frozen control groups. The MEL group had a significantly higher level of HspA2 mRNA compared with F and C groups (p < 0.05). The expression of Caspase9 was unaffected by including MEL and HYP in all experimental groups.

Conclusion: Hypotaurine, as an extracellular antioxidant, is more effective than melatonin as an intracellular antioxidant in reducing deleterious cryoinjuries on morphology, viability, acrosome reaction, and DFI.