Review
Pediatrics
Alessandra Cianflone, Fabio Savoia, Rosanna Parasole, Peppino Mirabelli
Summary: Including children in biomedical research requires ethical and legal reflection and improvement. Reconsent procedures and updating of data should be implemented as children grow. Standard operating procedures and collaboration with scientific networks are necessary for effective sharing of data and samples in pediatric research.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Ludovica Parisi, Patrick O. Knapp, Eleftheria Girousi, Silvia Rihs, Giorgio C. La Scala, Isabelle Schnyder, Alexandra Stahli, Anton Sculean, Dieter D. Bosshardt, Christos Katsaros, Martin Degen
Summary: The high prevalence of congenital anomalies involving the cranio-/orofacial region has led researchers to develop a living cell repository to overcome the limitations of rare conditions and biological differences between rodents and humans. By establishing a human living cell bank derived from discarded tissue samples, researchers aim to provide patient-derived cells with molecular and genetic characteristics for better understanding and management of craniofacial anomalies.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Meghan C. O'Leary, R. Lawrence Whitley, Ashlyn Press, Dawn Provenzale, Christina D. Williams, Blair Chesnut, Rodney Jones, Thomas S. Redding, Kellie J. Sims
Summary: This article discusses the establishment of a data and specimen repository by the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve access to scientific data and research results collected through federally funded studies. The repository includes a single protocol, request process, database architecture, and data sharing mechanism. It currently houses research data and study specimens for colorectal cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Gulf War research, supporting additional genetic analyses and related research.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Chulmin Cho, Harashdeep K. Deol, Loren J. Martin
Summary: There is a gap between translating basic science research into effective pain therapies in humans, with a need to fully consider biological, psychological, and social factors in pain research. Studies show that the pain experience is highly complex, requiring efforts to address multiple components and interactors to fully understand its complexity.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesca Perrone, Matthias Zilbauer
Summary: The development of human organoid culture models offers opportunities for generating three-dimensional miniature organs that mimic in vivo conditions, contributing to drug discovery and personalized treatment. However, establishing a living organoid biobank requires greater coordination, resources, and expertise compared to traditional tissue repositories, facing various challenges and complexities.
EXPERIMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Leonida A. Gizzi, Maria Grazia Andreassi
Summary: Laser accelerators have not been able to meet the requirements for dose control and stability in biomedical applications, but an experiment has now achieved translational research with proton beams at ultrahigh dose rate.
Review
Immunology
Erica L. Katz, John E. Harris
Summary: Vitiligo is a skin disease characterized by white spots, and significant progress has been made in understanding its pathogenesis over the past 30 years through perseverance, collaboration, and open-minded discussion. Researchers have explored various possible mechanisms through innervation, microvascular anomalies, oxidative stress, defects in melanocyte adhesion, autoimmunity, somatic mosaicism, and genetics, with animal models and improved patient sample collection methods playing important roles in translational studies.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Wolfgang Zierer, Ravi Bodampalli Anjanappa, Christian Erwin Lamm, Shu-Heng Chang, Wilhelm Gruissem, Uwe Sonnewald
Summary: There is an urgent need to stimulate agricultural output in many tropical and subtropical countries to combat hunger and malnutrition. The starchy crop cassava plays a key role in providing food for millions of people in these regions. However, the successful implementation of biotechnological concepts in cassava relies on the availability of well-characterized promoters, which are currently scarce. This study investigates the activity and tissue specificity of different promoter elements in cassava plants, providing valuable information and sequences for the improvement of cassava nutritional value and productivity.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Murilo S. de Abreu, Ana C. V. V. Giacomini, Rafael Genario, Bruna E. dos Santos, Leticia Marcon, Konstantin A. Demin, David S. Galstyan, Tatiana Strekalova, Tamara G. Amstislavskaya, Allan Kalueff
Summary: Color is an important environmental factor that affects human and animal behavior and physiology in multiple ways. Zebrafish has emerged as an important model species in neuroscience research, with growing utility in studying color neurobiology and neurobehavioral phenomics. Future research directions in this field include exploring the role of colors in zebrafish models and their impact on CNS disease modeling and animal welfare.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Loredana G. Marcu, Eva Bezak, Dylan D. Peukert, Puthenparampil Wilson
Summary: FLASH radiotherapy is a new radiation delivery method aimed at widening the therapeutic window in radiotherapy, offering superior normal tissue sparing potential compared to conventional radiation. Research on FLASH is increasing in all main areas, though full understanding of radiobiological mechanisms is still to be clarified.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Rosemond A. Mensah, Kawther Salim, Katarzyna Peszko, Seyta Diop, Ting H. R. Wong, David Y. S. Chau
Summary: Chicken eggshell membrane (ESM) is a rich resource with defined structural profile, chemical composition, and mechanical characteristics, which has potential applications in tissue regeneration, wound healing, and drug delivery. However, challenges remain in improving its mechanical properties, joining fragments, and enhancing its therapeutic capacity. This review provides an overview of ESM extraction, isolation, and characterization, as well as current and future applications in regenerative medicine.
BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Alexis N. Pena, Jordan A. Garcia, Jennifer H. Elisseeff
Summary: Restoration of soft tissue defects through autologous fat grafting is widely used in reconstructive and esthetic surgeries, but clinical outcomes are unpredictable due to significant variation in fat resorption rates. Acellular human tissue products may offer a promising solution to meet this clinical need.
CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Vijay Shankar Kumawat, Sanchita Bandyopadhyay-Ghosh, Subrata Bandhu Ghosh
Summary: This article critically reviews the translational research on various engineered biomaterials for orthopaedic healthcare, aiming to bring transformative changes in bone repair. It discusses the composition and ultrastructure of bone, the global perspective on bone fracture surgeries, and the types, benefits, and challenges of natural and synthetic bone grafts. The article provides an overview of clinically relevant biomaterials, from traditionally used metallic, bioceramic, and biopolymeric biomaterials to new generation composites. It concludes with a discussion on the emerging trends and future perspectives of promising bone grafts.
JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE-POLYMER EDITION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Annette Fliedner, Heinz Ruedel, Bernd Goeckener, Henrik Krehenwinkel, Martin Paulus, Jan Koschorreck
Summary: The study emphasizes the potential of Environmental Specimen Banks (ESBs) in implementing the Zero Pollution Ambition and Biodiversity Strategy of the European Green Deal. The findings of recent monitoring studies reveal the widespread presence of various pollutants in the European environment and highlight the importance of monitoring temporal changes in environmental pollution and ecological condition. The study also demonstrates the value of ESBs in supporting regulators in prioritizing their actions towards the objectives of the Green Deal.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
YingYan Zhu, Dan Jackson, Benjamin Hunter, Lorna Beattie, Lisa Turner, Brett D. Hambly, Richmond W. Jeremy, Cassandra Malecki, Elizabeth N. Robertson, Amy Li, Cris dos Remedios, David Richmond, Christopher Semsarian, John F. O'Sullivan, Paul G. Bannon, Sean Lal
Summary: Biobanking in healthcare has evolved to become essential for modern medical research, with cardiovascular tissue biobanking providing a unique opportunity for translational research into heart failure and related pathologies. However, challenges like data collection, privacy issues, consent, and governance still need to be addressed in order to fully maximize the potential of tissue biobanking for advancing precision medicine in cardiovascular pathology.