Toward Professionalism of Biobanking in China: A Survey on Working Status, Career Development, Challenges, and Prospects of Biobankers.

Biobanking has become an increasingly important activity to provide resources for medical research support. In China, establishing and maintaining a biobank have been the latest trend in a research hospital. However, biobanking is still an emerging young field in terms of professionalization and professionalism. The development of professionalization in biobanking faces many challenges involving the development of skills, identities, norms, and values associated with becoming part of a professional group. Biobanking professionals (i.e., biobankers) are the most important factor and driving force toward professionalization in biobanking. To better understand biobankers' performance, needs, concerns, and career development, we conducted two comprehensive surveys among biobankers in China in 2019 and 2021, respectively. The questionnaires covered four major areas: (1) basic information and the status of biobankers; (2) job performance evaluation, salary, recognitions, rewards, and so on; (3) occupational training and career development; and (4) challenges and prospects and so on. The surveys revealed that most biobankers in China have positive working attitudes and a high desire for their future career development, but due to the uncertain evaluation mechanisms and promotion routes, etc., the participants were more optimistic about biobanking development compared to the biobanker's career development (77.0% and 57.4% respectively in 2021, p < 0.05). The biobankers expected more training opportunities and salary packages. Because biobankers are an integral factor and driving force to ensure the successful biobanking operation and advancement, the survey data analysis revealed interesting findings and references for the development of professionalism in biobanking. This survey will provide first-hand information to governments, biobank management teams, and the general public to further support, promote, or optimize (1) biobanking operation and sustainability, (2) biobankers' career development, (3) biobank management and quality control, and (4) strategic plans and approaches to establish a higher quality professional team of biobankers.

The Group 3 LEA proteins of Artemia franciscana for cryopreservation.

Late embryogenesis-abundant (LEA) proteins are protective proteins that are enriched in the late stage of seed embryo development. LEA proteins play an important role in resisting abiotic stresses such as low temperature and drought. Artemia franciscana is the only animal known to express three different groups of LEA proteins in its life cycle, and the discovery has some applications for the cryopreservation of human cells. In this review, A. franciscana LEA proteins from Group 3 are systematically introduced, and the structure, location, function and application in cryopreservation are highlighted. As a nontoxic and effective cryoprotectant, A. franciscana LEA proteins are expected to provide a new method for cryopreservation of cells.

The Scale, Collections, and Biospecimen Distribution of Grade A Tertiary Hospital Biobanks in China: A National Survey.

Chinese clinical biobanks were built rapidly in grade A tertiary hospitals. However, the general information of biorepositories in China remained largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the size, collections, biospecimens distribution and other characteristics of Chinese biobanks in grade A tertiary hospitals. In 2018, we launched a national survey among biobank leaders to provide a comprehensive understanding of Chinese grade A tertiary hospital biobanks. A total of 70 biobank managers or directors completed an online questionnaire to collect information about the biorepositories. Nearly 20% of biobanks stored over one million specimens, while almost one-third of biobanks stored 50-200,000 specimens. In general, plasma and serum were the specimens most commonly stored. For the use of collections, biospecimens were most commonly applied by internal clinical departments. Further analyses revealed that the large-scale biobanks were characterized by earlier establishment, more types of specimens in storage and distribution compared with small-scale biobanks. Moreover, specimens in large-scale biobanks were more commonly used for basic research (62.86% vs. 34.29%, P = 0.017) and clinical research (57.14% vs. 28.57%, P = 0.016). Large-scale biobanks also had more opportunities to cooperate with domestic research institutes (34.29% vs. 5.71%, P = 0.003). Our survey revealed diversity in collections, distribution and utilization of biospecimens among Chinese grade A tertiary hospital biobanks. Although the biobanks had relatively large collections, the underutilization of stored biospecimens and lack of sharing could hamper clinical and biological research.

Conditional Reprogramming for Patient-Derived Cancer Models and Next-Generation Living Biobanks.

Traditional cancer models including cell lines and animal models have limited applications in both basic and clinical cancer research. Genomics-based precision oncology only help 2-20% patients with solid cancer. Functional diagnostics and patient-derived cancer models are needed for precision cancer biology. In this review, we will summarize applications of conditional cell reprogramming (CR) in cancer research and next generation living biobanks (NGLB). Together with organoids, CR has been cited in two NCI (National Cancer Institute, USA) programs (PDMR: patient-derived cancer model repository; HCMI: human cancer model initiatives. HCMI will be distributed through ATCC). Briefly, the CR method is a simple co-culture technology with a Rho kinase inhibitor, Y-27632, in combination with fibroblast feeder cells, which allows us to rapidly expand both normal and malignant epithelial cells from diverse anatomic sites and mammalian species and does not require transfection with exogenous viral or cellular genes. Establishment of CR cells from both normal and tumor tissue is highly efficient. The robust nature of the technique is exemplified by the ability to produce 2 × 106 cells in five days from a core biopsy of tumor tissue. Normal CR cell cultures retain a normal karyotype and differentiation potential and CR cells derived from tumors retain their tumorigenic phenotype. CR also allows us to enrich cancer cells from urine (for bladder cancer), blood (for prostate cancer), and pleural effusion (for non-small cell lung carcinoma). The ability to produce inexhaustible cell populations using CR technology from small biopsies and cryopreserved specimens has the potential to transform biobanking repositories (NGLB: next-generation living biobank) and current pathology practice by enabling genetic, biochemical, metabolomic, proteomic, and biological assays, including chemosensitivity testing as a functional diagnostics tool for precision cancer medicine. We discussed analyses of patient-derived matched normal and tumor models using a case with tongue squamous cell carcinoma as an example. Last, we summarized applications in cancer research, disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine of CR-based NGLB.

Temporary Ischemia Time Before Snap Freezing Is Important for Maintaining High-Integrity RNA in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissues.

Background: High-throughput transcript sequencing plays an important role in the study of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence and development. High-quality biospecimens, especially high-quality RNA, are the most basic prerequisites for obtaining good transcript sequencing data. Our purpose was to explore the treatment conditions of in vitro ischemic tissue samples that can be used to obtain high-integrity RNA before freezing the samples in liquid nitrogen. Materials and Methods: Postoperative tumor tissues (T) and adjacent normal tissues (AN) from 50 HCC patients were randomly selected from May 5, 2017, to June 15, 2017. Postoperative tissue specimens from each HCC patient were stratified by tissue type (T or AN), ischemia time (minutes), and ischemia temperature (°C) into 16 groups: T-4°C-15 minutes, T-4°C-30 minutes, T-4°C-60 minutes, T-4°C-120 minutes, T-24°C-15 minutes, T-24°C-30 minutes, T-24°C-60 minutes, T-24°C-120 minutes, AN-4°C-15 minutes, AN-4°C-30 minutes, AN-4°C-60 minutes, AN-4°C-120 minutes, AN-24°C-15 minutes, AN-24°C-30 minutes, AN-24°C-60 minutes, and AN-24°C-120 minutes. RNA integrity was detected by RNA integrity number (RIN) and 1% agarose gel electrophoresis. Results: At an ischemia temperature of 4°C and ischemia time of >30 minutes, the RIN of T began to decrease. RIN also gradually decreased in T at an ischemia temperature of 4°C and in both T and AN at an ischemia temperature of 24°C for ischemia times 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes. For an ischemia time ≤15 minutes and ischemia temperature 4°C or 24°C, the RINs of T and AN were significantly different. Furthermore, at ischemia temperature 4°C and ischemia time 30 and 60 minutes or ischemia temperature 24°C and ischemia time 30 minutes, the RIN of T was higher compared with AN. However, there was no significant difference in RIN between T and AN under other treatment conditions. Conclusions: Tissue quality is adversely affected by ischemia time and ischemia temperature. Therefore, temporary ischemia time (≤15 minutes) before snap freezing is key for maintaining high-integrity RNA in HCC tissues.

Cryopreservation-Altered Expression of RNA and Protein Markers in Biological Specimens.

The preservation of DNA, RNA, and protein markers in biological specimens is essential for initial diagnosis, subsequent verification, and comparison, as well as for archival retention of pathological materials in modern molecular diagnostics and precision medicine. Considerable attention has been paid to the methods of collection, handling, and preparation of specimens for initial testing, but insufficient attention to the long-term specimen preservation for later verification, comparison, and archival retention. In the present study, we have investigated the changes of expressions of RNAs and proteins in Hep-G2 cell specimens after cryopreservation at -80°C and in liquid nitrogen. Storage temperature and different cryoprotective agent (CPA) solutions not only affect cell viability but also more importantly the retention of various molecular markers after storage as detected by western blot and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction. While the presence of CPAs increased the survival rates of cells after cryopreservation as expected, there was no consistent trend observed with regard to the RNA expression measurements. The data have significant implications with regard to the accuracy and interpretation of acquired data from specimens that have been cryopreserved without RNA and protein stabilization and point to the need for rethinking the assumptions, strategies, and criteria of optimizing biological specimen cryopreservation in molecular diagnostics.

[Senile habitual constipation treated with auricular therapy based on the pattern/syndrome differentiation: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy on senile habitual constipation between the auricular therapy based on the pattern/syndrome differentiation and the conventional auricular point sticking therapy. METHODS: Two-hundred cases were randomized into a group of the auricular therapy based on the pattern/syndrome differentiation (an auricular differentiation group) and a group of conventional auricular point sticking therapy (an auricular sticking group), 100 cases in each one. In the auricular differentiation group, Brain Stem (AT3,4i), Occiput (AT3), Subcortex (AT4), Large Intestine (CO7), Triple Energizer (CO17), Abdomen (AH8), Endocrine (CO18) and Constipation Point were taken as the main points. According to the pattern/syndrome differentiation, for excessive heat in the stomach and intestine, Stomach (CO4) and Small Intestine (CO6) were added; for blockage of lung qi, Lung (CO14) was added; for spleen and kidney deficiency, Spleen (CO13) and Kidney (CO10) were added. In the auricular sticking group, CO7, Rectum (HX2), Sympathetic Nerve (AH6a) and AT4 were selected. In both groups, the patients were required to press the points four times a day by themselves. The auricular points were changed once every 3 to 4 days, and the two ears were alternated. The eight treatments made one session and two sessions were required totally. The clinical efficacy and the changes of the score for the quality of life before and after treatment were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: The effective rate was 92.0% (92/100) in the auricular differentiation group, which was superior to 76.0% (76/100) in the auricular sticking group (P < 0.05). The score for the quality of life after treatment was reduced to different extents for the patients in the two groups (both P < 0.05). The score decrease in the auricular differentiation group was much more apparent as compared with that in the auricular sticking group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The auricular therapy based on the pattern/syndrome differentiation is safe and effective in the treatment of senile habitual constipation and its efficacy is superior to the conventional auricular point sticking therapy.