Biopreservation and Biobanking

When it comes to collaboration between academic biobanks and the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry, the criteria for effective collaborations are still unclear. Researchers in industry and academic biobanks can have different incentives and requirements that the other party is often not familiar with. This survey was conducted in an attempt to increase understanding of these fundamental knowledge gaps that may be obstacles to optimal collaboration between academia and industry.

There were 53 total respondents. Although this was a global survey, most respondents (n = 29) were from North America, likely reflecting overall investment in research in this region and possibly increased interactions between academia and industry as well. Most respondent academic biobanks collect multiple sample types with most (>90%) collecting both biofluids (including blood) and tissue. Most of the participating academic biobanks were aware that they were not (35%), or only partially (35%), using the full potential of their inventory. One option for increasing utilization rates is by collaborating with industry partners. The main issues when working with industry were perceived to be a combination of challenges including contractual (55%), consent restrictions (45%), timelines (41%), or time pressure (36%). Time taken to put agreements together was also a significant hurdle (54%), together with the industry’s administrative requirements (36%).

To take advantage of opportunities for joint collaboration, it is essential that the parties involved build trust. The first step is to understand the different requirements and needs of the other party and to establish efficient structures for joint cooperation. This survey has highlighted key areas to be addressed as the next steps for strengthening bonds between academic biobanks and industry partners.

To facilitate the regionalization, specialization, and digitization of biobanks, three issues regarding data collection and application must be addressed (1) integration and distribution of data governance, (2) efficiency and efficacy of data governance, and (3) sustainability of data governance.

We collaborated with stakeholders to identify priorities and assess infrastructure needs through the continuous evaluation and analysis of projects. We developed data management solutions, catalogs, and data models to optimize and support data collection, distribution, and application. Furthermore, ontologies were used to facilitate data integration from multiple sources, and Minimum Information About BIobank Data Sharing (MIABIS) was defined as accessible to all patients. To enhance data integrity, we conducted retrospective and prospective follow-up studies.

We completed infrastructure upgrades to match technical solutions and research demands. An information management software with six primary functional divisions was developed for data governance. We optimized the database structure and changed the biospecimen accumulation model from biospecimen-based to patient-centered and service-oriented. Subsequently, we specified 85 attributes of MIABIS to describe the biobank contents. A dual-pillar approach was adopted to expand the biobank’s data in collaboration with other institutions, and MIABIS served as a bridge for both vertical and horizontal networks. From 2003 to 2021, we collected a total of 156,997 patient biospecimens/data from 20 cancer types, matching 53,113 cases from follow-up surveys. In addition, we supplied more than 40,000 biospecimens/data points for above 300 scientific research projects.

An appropriate information platform for a biobank is fundamental to data collection, distribution, and application, particularly in the context of data-intensive research. We implemented a standardized scientific data structure to fulfill the research requirements. The sustainable development of a biobank depends on a scientific, standardized, and service-oriented data governance approach, along with the efficient utilization of emerging technologies.

Rosemary shrub/plant and Sericin have been documented to show antioxdative properties, however their role in improving post thaw semen quality has not been well established.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Rosemary leaves extract and Sericin protein on post-thaw quality of Pantja buck semen.

In the first experiment, 32 ejaculates were collected from 4 sexually mature Pantja bucks and pooled to form 8 pooled samples. The pooled samples were evaluated for seminal attributes (sperm motility, viability, morphology, plasma membrane integrity, and acrosomal integrity), status of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) and lipid-peroxidation (malondialdehyde) of sperm plasma membrane before dilution. In the second experiment, pooled samples were divided into three equal aliquots as group-C (Control), group-R (Rosemary), and group-S (Sericin). Aliquots of group-C were diluted in glycerolated Egg Yolk Tris (EYT) extender, whereas aliquots of group-R and group-S were additionally supplemented with 4.0% v/v Rosemary leaves extract and 0.25% w/v Sericin, respectively, and again examined for the above parameters at the post-dilution, post-equilibration, and post-thawing stages of semen freezing.

Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the values of seminal attributes, level of enzymatic antioxidants, and lipid per-oxidation between group C and R and between group C and S at the post-thaw stage of semen freezing. However Sericin was nonsignificantly better than Rosemary in improving post-thaw semen quality.

The results of the present study on limited semen samples in Pantja buck demonstrated that compared to the control group, both Rosemary aqueous extract (4%) and Sericin protein (0.25%) as an additive in TRIS extender, showed better cryoprotective effects resulting in improved post-thaw seminal characteristics.

Sperm cryopreservation is a useful storage technique in artificial insemination. Nanoparticles and nanovesicles such as exosomes are widely used in sperm cryopreservation procedures to alleviate cold-induced injury inflicted during sperm freezing.

The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of varying concentrations of exosomes derived from seminal plasma added to a freezing extender on the quality of post-thawed bull sperm.

Five Holstein bulls were chosen based on their samples having less than 30% progressive motility. After exosome extraction, semen samples from bulls (n = 5) with progressive sperm motility ≤30% were collected, diluted with different exosome concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL), and aspirated into 0.5 mL straws. After the freeze–thaw process, sperm total and progressive motility, viability, morphology, plasma membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity, and apoptosis status were assessed. Furthermore, the expression levels of annexin (ANX1), dystrophy-associated Fer-1-like protein (DYSF), fibronectin 1 (FN1), and reactive oxygen species modulator 1 (ROMO1) were evaluated via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Adding different concentrations of exosomes (25, 50, and 150 μg/mL) significantly increased the progressive motility, viability, and membrane integrity of sperm compared with the control group (p < 0.05). For the apoptosis index, treatment with 100 μg/mL exosomes significantly increased the percentage of live cells (p < 0.05), while the percentage of necrotic cells decreased significantly (p < 0.05) compared with 25 μg/mL exosome. The results of quantitative PCR showed that the expression levels of ANX1 were significantly (p < 0.05) upregulated at 50 μg/mL exosome, and the expression of ROMO1, FN1, and DYSF were downregulated upon treatment with different exosome concentrations.

In conclusion, supplementing the freezing diluent with exosome-derived seminal plasma could preserve the quality parameters of the post-thaw semen of the bull with low freezeability and could be used as a helpful method for reproductive programs.