Biomedical Research Activities Research Articles

Digital CRISPR/Cas12a-based platform for precise quantification of telomerase activity

Precise quantification of telomerase activity is of great significance for telomerase-based early cancer diagnosis, as well as the screening of prodrugs. Telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) has been most widely used for assessing telomerase activity, which is limited by false-positive results, complicated operations, and long detection time. Herein, we develop a droplet digital hyperbranched amplification enhanced CRISPR/Cas12a-based telomerase detection platform (ddHECTelo) for precise quantitative detection of telomerase activity. By combining with the droplet digital platform and hyperbranched amplification, the ddHECTelo allows precise quantification of telomerase activity with single-molecule sensitivity. A polydisperse droplets digital system was employed, so that the reaction mixtures could be partitioned into picoliter-scale polydisperse droplets in several seconds to avoid the pre-amplification, without the need for a sophisticated microfluidic chip. This is the first digital isothermal platform for sensitive and precise quantification of telomerase activity, which shows great potential in telomerase-based early cancer diagnosis. It could also be used to analyze the telomerase activity in fundamental biomedical research.

Fabrication of Zein‐Based Fibrous Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications—A Review

AbstractZein, which accounts for around 80% of the total protein composition in corn, is a biocompatible and biodegradable substance derived from renewable sources. Although insoluble in water, its amphiphilic characteristics are utilized to generate nanoparticles, nanofibers, microparticles, and even films. Numerous recent studies have demonstrated the potential of zein as a prospective biomaterial to develop fibrous scaffolds for biomedical functions owing to its biocompatibility, fibrous formation, and encapsulating qualities. Fabrication of zein‐based fibrous scaffolds for biomedical applications is achieved by a wide variety of techniques, including electrospinning, wet spinning, freeze drying, and additive manufacturing. This article overviews current advancements in manufacturing techniques for zein‐based fibrous scaffolds. In addition, it summarizes the most recent biomedical applications and research activities utilizing zein‐based fibrous scaffolds. Overall, zein is proposed as a potential biomaterial for the production of fibrous scaffolds that stimulate cell adhesion and proliferation in a number of exciting biomedical applications due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, and other unique features related to its structure.

Assay-ready Cryopreserved Cell Monolayers Enabled by Macromolecular Cryoprotectants.

Cell monolayers underpin the discovery and screening of new drugs and allow for fundamental studies of cell biology and disease. However, current cryopreservation technologies do not allow cells to be stored frozen while attached to tissue culture plastic. Hence, cells must be thawed from suspension, cultured for several days or weeks, and finally transferred into multiwell plates for the desired application. This inefficient process consumes significant time handling cells, rather than conducting biomedical research or other value-adding activities. Here, we demonstrate that a synthetic macromolecular cryoprotectant enables the routine, reproducible, and robust cryopreservation of biomedically important cell monolayers, within industry-standard tissue culture multiwell plates. The cells are simply thawed with media and placed in an incubator ready to use within 24 h. Post-thaw cell recovery values were >80% across three cell lines with low well-to-well variance. The cryopreserved cells retained healthy morphology, membrane integrity, proliferative capacity, and metabolic activity; showed marginal increases in apoptotic cells; and responded well to a toxicological challenge using doxorubicin. These discoveries confirm that the cells are “assay-ready” 24 h after thaw. Overall, we show that macromolecular cryoprotectants can address a long-standing cryobiological challenge and offers the potential to transform routine cell culture for biomedical discovery.

Determination of the protein content of complex samples by aromatic amino acid analysis, liquid chromatography-UV absorbance, and colorimetry

Fast and accurate determination of the protein content of a sample is an important and non-trivial task of many biochemical, biomedical, food chemical, pharmaceutical, and environmental research activities. Different methods of total protein determination are used for a wide range of proteins with highly variable properties in complex matrices. These methods usually work reasonably well for proteins under controlled conditions, but the results for non-standard and complex samples are often questionable. Here, we compare new and well-established methods, including traditional amino acid analysis (AAA), aromatic amino acid analysis (AAAA) based on the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine, reversed-phase liquid chromatography of intact proteins with UV absorbance measurements at 220 and 280 nm (LC-220, LC-280), and colorimetric assays like Coomassie Blue G-250 dye-binding assay (Bradford) and bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay. We investigated different samples, including proteins with challenging properties, chemical modifications, mixtures, and complex matrices like air particulate matter and pollen extracts. All methods yielded accurate and precise results for the protein and matrix used for calibration. AAA, AAAA with fluorescence detection, and the LC-220 method yielded robust results even under more challenging conditions (variable analytes and matrices). These methods turned out to be well-suited for reliable determination of the protein content in a wide range of samples, such as air particulate matter and pollen.

Molecular Prerequisites for Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation and Evasion Mechanisms of Staphylococcus aureus.

NETosis is a multi-facetted cellular process that promotes the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs as web-like structures consist of DNA fibers armed with granular proteins, histones, and microbicidal peptides, thereby exhibiting pathogen-immobilizing and antimicrobial attributes that maximize innate immune defenses against invading microbes. However, clinically relevant pathogens often tolerate entrapment and even take advantage of the remnants of NETs to cause persistent infections in mammalian hosts. Here, we briefly summarize how Staphylococcus aureus, a high-priority pathogen and causative agent of fatal diseases in humans as well as animals, catalyzes and concurrently exploits NETs during pathogenesis and recurrent infections. Specifically, we focus on toxigenic and immunomodulatory effector molecules produced by staphylococci that prime NET formation, and further highlight the molecular and underlying principles of suicidal NETosis compared to vital NET-formation by viable neutrophils in response to these stimuli. We also discuss the inflammatory potential of NET-controlled microenvironments, as excessive expulsion of NETs from activated neutrophils provokes local tissue injury and may therefore amplify staphylococcal disease severity in hospitalized or chronically ill patients. Combined with an overview of adaptation and counteracting strategies evolved by S. aureus to impede NET-mediated killing, these insights may stimulate biomedical research activities to uncover novel aspects of NET biology at the host-microbe interface.

Spectrum of Genetic Diseases in Tunisia: Current Situation and Main Milestones Achieved

Genetic diseases in Tunisia are a real public health problem given their chronicity and the lack of knowledge concerning their prevalence and etiology, and the high rates of consanguinity. Hence, we performed systematic reviews of the literature in order to provide a more recent spectrum of these disorders and to expose the challenges that still exist to tackle these kinds of diseases. A manual textual data mining was conducted using MeSH and PubMed databases. Collected data were classified according to the CIM-10 classification and the transmission mode. The spectrum of these diseases is estimated to be 589 entities. This suggests remarkable progress through the development of biomedical health research activities and building capacities. Sixty percent of the reported disorders are autosomal recessive, which could be explained by the high prevalence of endogamous mating. Congenital malformations (29.54%) are the major disease group, followed by metabolic diseases (22%). Sixty percent of the genetic diseases have a known molecular etiology. We also reported additional cases of comorbidity that seem to be a common phenomenon in our population. We also noticed that epidemiological data are scarce. Newborn and carrier screening was only limited to pilot projects for a few genetic diseases. Collected data are being integrated into a database under construction that will be a valuable decision-making tool. This study provides the current situation of genetic diseases in Tunisia and highlights their particularities. Early detection of the disease is important to initiate critical intervention and to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Kutatásetika és kutatásszervezés a SARS-CoV-2 vírus okozta világjárványban

Összefoglaló. A klinikai orvosbiológiai vizsgálatok elkezdéséhez a kutatásban részt vevők biztonságát ellenőrző Egészségügyi Tudományos Tanács (ETT) kutatásetikai bizottságainak hozzájárulása szükséges. A járványt csak tudományos eredményekkel lehet legyőzni, ezért kitörésekor gyorsították a COVID–19 kutatási protokollok bírálatát. A koronavírus világjárvány szükségessé tett egy megváltozott kutatási adatkezelést is. A járványok megoldása a megelőzés. Bár a vírusellenes vakcinák adása hamar megkezdődött, ami jelentős tudományos teljesítmény, mégis tudományellenes hullám söpör végig a világon, és a kötelező védőoltások körüli jogi, etikai viták fellángoltak. Áltudományos érvelésekkel félrevezetnek embereket. Az ETT nemzeti kutatásfejlesztési programot javasolt a járvány következményeinek leküzdésére. Summary. Biomedical research activities are subjects to prior professional-ethical approval. ETT (the Medical Research Council in Hungary) through its research-ethics committees ensures the safety of people and protects their interests and health in various clinical investigations and trials. Thus, science, ethics, and safety cannot be separated in biomedical research. The ETT operates three national ethics committees. The opinions of ethical bodies are binding; clinical and biomedical research may not be initiated without the consent of the relevant ETT committees. This is in line with international regulations. The ETT has published the “Codex of Bioethics. On the concepts and practice of biomedical research” on its website. When the epidemic broke out, the ETT Presidency initiated immediate legislative changes that allowed for online meetings as well as digital consent to investigations, in addition to the previously exclusive personal ones. In the epidemic, time became the determining dimension, but this and the aim of the research could not be combined with such “lightening” that would endanger the safety and interests of the participants in the COVID studies. Thus, under the still strict requirements, the time for reviewing the COVID-19 protocols had to be radically shortened. However, the ETT research ethics committees also rejected submissions during the epidemic. A total of 171 COVID-19-related research protocols were approved in Hungary in 2020. The ETT Presidency initiated a national Research and Development program on infectious diseases, a call for scientific clinical R&D proposals on COVID-19, and also elaborated its priorities. Throughout human history, the solution to epidemics has always been to prevent the spread of disease through vaccinations. The average production time for traditional vaccines is about 15 years, whereas in the year of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic outbreak, mass vaccinations began with completely new coronavirus vaccines partly made using brand new molecular biology technology that had never been used before. Despite the tremendous professional scientific achievements, a wave of hostilities is sweeping across the world, and the ethos and successes of science, and scientific communities in research are being questioned when their roles are dominant and outstanding. The concept of compulsory vaccination has been arguably classified as a human right. With this, the world of vaccinations was tied to concepts that it really had nothing to do with. Arbitrary pairing and joint treatment of remote concepts favours the spread of fatal diseases such as measles and poliomyelitis, for which there are already vaccines. Meanwhile, pseudosciences are misleading the public. The coronavirus pandemic has also necessitated changes in data management. The ETT has previously initiated a number of legal and professional proposals on health data management and access to research data, and has developed its own data protection rules following the introduction of the GDPR.

A Brief History of Use of Animals in Biomedical Research and Perspective on Non-Animal Alternatives.

Animals have been closely observed by humans for at least 17 000 years to gain critical knowledge for human and later animal survival. Routine scientific observations of animals as human surrogates began in the late 19th century driven by increases in new compounds resulting from synthetic chemistry and requiring characterization for potential therapeutic utility and safety. Statistics collected by the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and United Kingdom Home Office show that animal usage in biomedical research and teaching activities peaked after the mid-20th century and thereafter fell precipitously until the early 21st century, when annual increases (in the UK) were again observed, this time driven by expansion of genetically modified animal technologies. The statistics also show a dramatic transfer of research burden in the 20th and 21st centuries away from traditional larger and more publicly sensitive species (dogs, cats, non-human primates, etc) towards smaller, less publicly sensitive mice, rats, and fish. These data show that new technology can produce multi-faceted outcomes to reduce and/or to increase annual animal usage and to redistribute species burden in biomedical research. From these data, it is estimated that annual total vertebrate animal usage in biomedical research and teaching in the United States was 15 to 25 million per year during 2001-2018. Finally, whereas identification and incorporation of non-animal alternatives are products of, but not an integral component of, the animal research cycle, they replace further use of animals for specific research and product development purposes and create their own scientific research cycles, but are not necessarily a substitute for animals or humans for discovery, acquisition, and application of new (eg, previously unknown and/or unsuspected) knowledge critical to further advance human and veterinary medicine and global species survival.

Label-Free Multiphoton Microscopy: Much More Than Fancy Images.

Multiphoton microscopy has recently passed the milestone of its first 30 years of activity in biomedical research. The growing interest around this approach has led to a variety of applications from basic research to clinical practice. Moreover, this technique offers the advantage of label-free multiphoton imaging to analyze samples without staining processes and the need for a dedicated system. Here, we review the state of the art of label-free techniques; then, we focus on two-photon autofluorescence as well as second and third harmonic generation, describing physical and technical characteristics. We summarize some successful applications to a plethora of biomedical research fields and samples, underlying the versatility of this technique. A paragraph is dedicated to an overview of sample preparation, which is a crucial step in every microscopy experiment. Afterwards, we provide a detailed review analysis of the main quantitative methods to extract important information and parameters from acquired images using second harmonic generation. Lastly, we discuss advantages, limitations, and future perspectives in label-free multiphoton microscopy.

A2A: a platform for research in biomedical literature search

BackgroundFinding relevant literature is crucial for many biomedical research activities and in the practice of evidence-based medicine. Search engines such as PubMed provide a means to search and retrieve published literature, given a query. However, they are limited in how users can control the processing of queries and articles—or as we call them documents—by the search engine. To give this control to both biomedical researchers and computer scientists working in biomedical information retrieval, we introduce a public online tool for searching over biomedical literature. Our setup is guided by the NIST setup of the relevant TREC evaluation tasks in genomics, clinical decision support, and precision medicine.ResultsTo provide benchmark results for some of the most common biomedical information retrieval strategies, such as querying MeSH subject headings with a specific weight or querying over the title of the articles only, we present our evaluations on public datasets. Our experiments report well-known information retrieval metrics such as precision at a cutoff of ranked documents.ConclusionsWe introduce the A2A search and benchmarking tool which is publicly available for the researchers who want to explore different search strategies over published biomedical literature. We outline several query formulation strategies and present their evaluations with known human judgements for a large pool of topics, from genomics to precision medicine.

Visualization of endogenous β-galactosidase activity in living cells and zebrafish with a turn-on near-infrared fluorescent probe

β-Galactosidase (β-gal) is an important biomarker for primary ovarian cancers. Developing noninvasive bioimaging probes for studying the activity of β-gal is highly desirable for cancer diagnosis. Herein, a turn-on near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe， 2-((6-(((2S, 3R, 4S, 5R, 6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran -2-yl)oxy)-2,3-dihydro-1H-xanthen-4-yl)methylene)malononitrile named DXM-βgal, was rationally designed based on enzymatic reaction for the detection of β-gal activity both in vitro and in vivo. Upon incubating with β-gal, DXM-βgal displayed a significant fluorescence enhancement at 640 nm, accompanying by a color change of solution color from red to purple. DXM-βgal exhibited high selectivity and sensitively to β-gal with low limit of detection (2.92 × 10−4 U mL−1). Besides, based on its advantages of long-wavelength emission and excellent biocompatibility, DXM-βgal was successfully applied to imaging β-gal in living cells and zebrafish. Given these prominent properties, we believe that DXM-βgal will be a potential tool for investigating β-gal activity in biomedical research.

The Physics of a Coronavirus Pandemic: How to Avoid Impending Apocalyptic or Dystopian Economic Scenarios

This working paper builds on a body of previous work that suggests novel ways to stop a pandemic when the data needed to stop it is only available after its onset. This previous work points to a theoretical framework, namely probabilistic innovation theory, that suggests that there are ways to radically improve the probabilities of finding solutions to complex scientific problems, including in biomedical research- in the form of real time biomedical research. This paper extends this work to make a conceptual argument that there is a danger that current lockdowns can shut down the global economy in the same way as an engine can seize without lubrication, by cutting rather than slowing the actions of supply chains. This is described here as the physics of the coronavirus outbreak- the economic forces of momentum and inertia, that need to be modelled to better understand the consequences of breaking supply chains by implementing indiscriminant lockdowns (lockdowns that do not discriminate between those that have recovered and those that have not). There is currently little debate about the inertial forces that will need to be overcome in order to re-start economic activity after the pandemic. Scenarios of 90% unemployment seem to be absent from current debates, no doubt in order to boost much needed morale. Research is urgently needed into the consequences of a state transformation of many of the world’s economies- from dynamic system states to static states as lockdowns terminate much economic activity. It is argued here that lockdowns can save lives and minimize economic harm if they are discriminate - if they allow all recovered workers to quickly re-enter the economy - to work and travel - while locking down the uninfected and the ill. Poor management of this process may prove catastrophic, a serious consequence of a lack of testing of recovered persons. Indiscriminate lockdowns may break supply chains, particularly in poor countries, where recovered persons remain locked down. Indiscriminant lockdowns are particularly concerning in very poor areas with high population density when governments have insufficient means to feed people whose survivalist means have been shut down, often brutally by police and military. Wealthy countries should offer urgent help as soon as they are in a position to do so. This paper also echoes an increasingly widespread call to suggest that a very large scale biomedical crowdsourcing award would be effective in shifting activity out of already productive and profitable biomedical research activities into uncertain COVID-19 research. It seems that an award of no less than about 1000 billion dollars would be needed obtain the necessary economies of scale across the biomedical system. Such a large scale effort might be necessary, because the costs of research are borne by those seeking a solution. Governments should collaborate to contribute this award, because what they offer will surely be a lot less than the costs of economic destruction that are increasing exponentially due to lockdowns. They would not have to pay a cent if a solution was not found. Ideas can save lives, but only if they reach the policy makers that are now making decisions that are measured in human lives.

Authority and the Future of Consent in Population-Level Biomedical Research

Population-level biomedical research has become crucial to the health system’s ability to improve the health of the population. This form of research raises a number of well-documented ethical concerns, perhaps the most significant of which is the inability of the researcher to obtain fully informed specific consent from participants. Two proposed technical solutions to this problem of consent in large-scale biomedical research that have become increasingly popular are meta-consent and dynamic consent. We critically examine the ethical and practical credentials of these proposals and find them lacking. We suggest that the consent problem is not solved by adopting a technology driven approach grounded in a notion of ‘specific’ consent but by taking seriously the role of research governance in combination with broader conceptions of consent. In our view, these approaches misconstrue the rightful location of authority in the way in which population-level biomedical research activities are structured and organized. We conclude by showing how and why the authority for determining the nature and shape of choice making about participation ought not to lie with individual participants, but rather with the researchers and the research governance process, and that this necessarily leads to the endorsement of a fully articulated broad consent approach.

Stimulant Use and Study Protocol Completion: Assessing the Ability of Men Who Have Sex with Men to Collect Dried Blood Spots for Laboratory Measurement of HIV Viral Load.

Stimulant use is associated with higher HIV viral load (VL) and sexual HIV transmission risk among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV. There is little research on willingness of drug users living with HIV to fully participate in studies, especially those involving self-collection of biomarker data. This study presents findings from an at-home dried blood spot collection study measuring laboratory-quantified VL among U.S. HIV-positive MSM who reported high-risk sexual behavior and/or suboptimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence to assess the association between drug-use behavior and (1) ability to complete a study protocol and (2) VL outcomes. Among recruited participants (n = 766), 35% reported stimulant drug use (amphetamines, cocaine, crack, crystal meth, ecstasy, or a combination of stimulant drugs), 39% reported using other drugs (heroin, marijuana, prescription opioids, and others), and 27% reported no drug use in the past 3 months. In all, 61% of enrolled participants completed the study protocol. Stimulant drug users were less likely (ARR 0.84; 95% CI 0.72-0.98) to complete the protocol than other drug users. Furthermore, other drug users were significantly less likely than non-drug users (ARR 0.52; 95% CI 0.28-0.97) to have an HIV VL result ≥ 1500 copies/mL. This study provides important estimates regarding the likelihood of participation in biomedical research activities among HIV-positive MSM with varying drug-use behaviors, showing that it is feasible to conduct such biomedical studies with drug-using MSM who report high-risk sexual behavior and struggle with their ART adherence.

The endangered clinician-investigator profession in Saudi Arabia: curricular attention is required

The endangered clinician-investigator profession in Saudi Arabia: curricular attention is required

Cancer in North Cyprus: 2. Biomedical Research Activities

Cancer in North Cyprus: 2. Biomedical Research Activities

Reaction-Based Off-On Near-infrared Fluorescent Probe for Imaging Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Living Cells and Mice.

Alkaline phosphatases are a group of enzymes that play important roles in regulating diverse cellular functions and disease pathogenesis. Hence, developing fluorescent probes for in vivo detection of alkaline phosphatase activity is highly desirable for studying the dynamic phosphorylation in living organisms. Here, we developed the very first reaction-based near-infrared (NIR) probe (DHXP) for sensitive detection of alkaline phosphatase activity both in vitro and in vivo. Our studies demonstrated that the probe displayed an up to 66-fold fluorescence increment upon incubation with alkaline phosphatases, and the detection limit of our probe was determined to be 0.07 U/L, which is lower than that of most of alkaline phosphatase probes reported in literature. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the probe can be applied to detecting alkaline phosphatase activity in cells and mice. In addition, our probe possesses excellent biocompatibility and rapid cell-internalization ability. In light of these prominent properties, we envision that DHXP will add useful tools for investigating alkaline phosphatase activity in biomedical research.

How consumer physical activity monitors could transform human physiology research.

A sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity are well-established risk factors for chronic disease and adverse health outcomes. Thus, there is enormous interest in measuring physical activity in biomedical research. Many consumer physical activity monitors, including Basis Health Tracker, BodyMedia Fit, DirectLife, Fitbit Flex, Fitbit One, Fitbit Zip, Garmin Vivofit, Jawbone UP, MisFit Shine, Nike FuelBand, Polar Loop, Withings Pulse O2, and others have accuracies similar to that of research-grade physical activity monitors for measuring steps. This review focuses on the unprecedented opportunities that consumer physical activity monitors offer for human physiology and pathophysiology research because of their ability to measure activity continuously under real-life conditions and because they are already widely used by consumers. We examine current and potential uses of consumer physical activity monitors as a measuring or monitoring device, or as an intervention in strategies to change behavior and predict health outcomes. The accuracy, reliability, reproducibility, and validity of consumer physical activity monitors are reviewed, as are limitations and challenges associated with using these devices in research. Other topics covered include how smartphone apps and platforms, such as the Apple ResearchKit, can be used in conjunction with consumer physical activity monitors for research. Lastly, the future of consumer physical activity monitors and related technology is considered: pattern recognition, integration of sleep monitors, and other biosensors in combination with new forms of information processing.

Roadmap: A Research Data Management Advisory Platform

The DMPTool and DMPonline were developed to meet an emerging need arising from the advent of open data policies and each is now well established as the resource for researchers seeking guidance in creating data management plans (DMPs) in the US and UK respectively. Both services, and their sponsoring organizations, the California Digital Library (CDL) and the Digital Curation Centre (DCC), have succeeded in enabling researchers to comply with funder requirements in producing DMPs. However, this is just one step along the road to advancing open science. We see an opportunity to further leverage DMPs to support open science by integrating them into the broader ecosystem of data management infrastructure. In order to achieve this goal, we must redefine success to include not just adoption of our services by institutions but also widespread adoption by individual researchers, disciplinary communities, and funders. Working together with all stakeholders to make DMPs an essential, open part of the research lifecycle, and not just a matter of compliance, is the next step toward effectively managing and sharing research data. We propose to join forces and build a new, global data management advisory platform that links DMPs to other components of the research lifecycle. The biomedical research community provides an opportunity to adapt the infrastructure and associated educational resources to one specific disciplinary community and plug into new initiatives. We will reposition DMPs as living documents useful for structuring the course of biomedical research activities and integrating with related data management systems to lower the barriers for implementation and promote culture change. Consolidating around a single platform for DMPs extends our reach, keeps costs down, and moves best practices forward, allowing us to participate in a truly global open science ecosystem.

Medical and biomedical research productivity from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2008-2012).

Background:Biomedical publications from a country mirror the standard of Medical Education and practice in that country. It is important that the performance of the health profession is occasionally documented.Aims:This study aimed to analyze the quantity and quality of biomedical publications from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in international journals indexed in PubMed between 2008 and 2012.Materials and Methods:PubMed was searched for publications associated with KSA from 2008 to 2012. The search was limited to medical and biomedical subjects. Results were saved in a text file and later checked carefully to exclude false positive errors. The quality of the publication was assessed using Journal Citation Report 2012.Results:Biomedical research production in KSA in those 5 years showed a clear linear progression. Riyadh was the main hub of medical and biomedical research activity. Most of the publications (40.9%) originated from King Saud University (KSU). About half of the articles were published in journals with an Impact Factor (IF) of < 1, one-fourth in journals with no IF, and the remaining one-fourth in journals with a high IF (≥1).Conclusion:This study revealed that research activity in KSA is increasing. However, there is an increasing trend of publishing in local journals with a low IF. More effort is required to promote medical research in Saudi Arabia.