New Era In Biomedical Research Research Articles

Assessing bioartificial organ function: the 3P model framework and its validation.

The rapid advancement in the fabrication and culture of in vitro organs has marked a new era in biomedical research. While strides have been made in creating structurally diverse bioartificial organs, such as the liver, which serves as the focal organ in our study, the field lacks a uniform approach for the predictive assessment of liver function. Our research bridges this gap with the introduction of a novel, machine-learning-based "3P model" framework. This model draws on a decade of experimental data across diverse culture platform studies, aiming to identify critical fabrication parameters affecting liver function, particularly in terms of albumin and urea secretion. Through meticulous statistical analysis, we evaluated the functional sustainability of the in vitro liver models. Despite the diversity of research methodologies and the consequent scarcity of standardized data, our regression model effectively captures the patterns observed in experimental findings. The insights gleaned from our study shed light on optimizing culture conditions and advance the evaluation of the functional maintenance capacity of bioartificial livers. This sets a precedent for future functional evaluations of bioartificial organs using machine learning.

Synergizing Organoid and CRISPR Technologies: Pioneering a New Era in Biomedical Research

Organoids have emerged as a groundbreaking technique in biomedical research. Leveraging clinical samples, they enable the rapid creation of in vitro models that faithfully preserve the pathological, genetic, and epigenetic features of patient samples, thereby illuminating preclinical research. CRISPR, a well-established technique, empowers precise genetic manipulation on a large scale. The combination of these techniques enables researchers to simultaneously manipulate thousands of genes and assess their impact on phenotypes. In this study, we analyze several papers that integrate organoids and CRISPR techniques to identify key factors in development or pathogenesis.

Exploring the New Era of Biomedical Research on Alcohol

Exploring the New Era of Biomedical Research on Alcohol

Return of Value in the New Era of Biomedical Research—One Size Will Not Fit All

Background: There is a growing interest in creating large-scale repositories that store genetic, behavioral, and environmental data for future, unspecified uses. The All of Us Research Program is one example of such a repository. Its participants will get access to their personal data and the results of the studies that used them. However, little is known about what researchers should return to participants and how they should do it in a way that is valuable and meaningful to participants. Methods: To better understand the concept of “return of value” and the practice of returning valuable study information, we conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 44 stakeholders with diverse perspectives on this topic. All interviews have been transcribed and coded thematically to identify the most salient themes, to explore differences between returning different types of study results, and to describe differences and similarities in perspectives of different stakeholder groups. Results: We found that one size does not fit all when it comes to returning value to participants: the decisions about return of results are affected by participant preferences, researchers’ concerns about feasibility, the types of data collected, their level of granularity, and available options for supporting result interpretation. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the key to operationalizing return of value and to identifying ways to return valuable information to study participants may be to find a point of equilibrium between criteria that may affect usefulness and feasibility. The point of equilibrium may vary by study, by participants’ backgrounds and preferences, by their health literacy and access to regular healthcare, and by the resources available to professionals controlling the data. Future studies should explore the factors that determine the point of equilibrium between feasibility and usefulness.

Harnessing robotic automation and web-based technologies to modernize scientific outreach.

Technological breakthroughs in the past two decades have ushered in a new era of biomedical research, turning it into an information-rich and technology-driven science. This scientific revolution, though evident to the research community, remains opaque to nonacademic audiences. Such knowledge gaps are likely to persist without revised strategies for science education and public outreach. To address this challenge, we developed a unique outreach program to actively engage over 100 high-school students in the investigation of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Our program uses robotic automation and interactive web-based tools to bridge geographical distances, scale up the number of participants, and reduce overall cost. Students and teachers demonstrated high engagement and interest throughout the project and valued its unique approach. This educational model can be leveraged to advance the massive open online courses movement that is already transforming science education.

Recent developments in statistical methods for GWAS and high-throughput sequencing association studies of complex traits

ABSTRACTThe advent of large-scale genetic studies has helped bring a new era of biomedical research on dissecting the genetic architecture of complex human disease. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and next-generation sequencing studies are two popular tools for identifying genetic variants that are associated with complex traits. This article overviews some of the most important statistical tools for analyzing data from these two types of studies, with an emphasis on single-SNP tests for common variants and region-based tests for rare variants. We compare various statistical methods for common and rare variants in humans, and describe some critical considerations to guide the choice of an analysis method. Also discussed are the related topics of sample ascertainment, missing heritability, and multiple testing correction, as well as some remaining analytical challenges presented by complex trait association mapping using genomic data obtained via high-throughput technologies.

IJMR: a flagship journal of ICMR enters into centenary year

In the early part of the twentieth century, when India was reeling under the ravages of many life threatening diseases like malaria, filariasis, kala-azar, plague, tuberculosis, leprosy, etc, and medical research was gradually getting momentum with the opening of many research institutes of highest standard including Indian Research Fund Association (erstwhile ICMR) in 1911, there was no journal to disseminate the scientific knowledge. And most of the work carried out in India was being published in British journals or remain buried in the files of the Government offices. A new era in biomedical research was started in the year 1913 to fill this gap, when Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR) was started by the ICMR (then IRFA). The journal was mandated to publish research work conducted in India related to public health and hygiene, prevalent communicable and infectious diseases etc. The first issue of the IJMR was published in July 1913. Sir Pardey Lukis, the then Director General, Indian Medical Services (IMS) was the first Editor of the IJMR. IJMR was initially started as a quarterly publication with 4 issues in a year from 1913 to 1957 but with effect from 1958 it was made bimonthly and from 1964 became monthly and continuing with the same periodicity. During the period 18 supplements on the topics ranging from toxemias, hepatitis and kyasanur forest disease (KFD) to 100 years of malaria research and streptococcal research to HPV were brought out between 1954 and 2006 and 22 special issues on topics like cholera, dengue, chikungunya, malaria and ageing to tuberculosis research and from leishmaniasis to metal toxicity & HIV/AIDS were published between 1964 to 2011. Special sections on maternal and child nutrition, cardiovascular disease research and haemoglobinopathies were also brought out between 2009 and 2011.More extended contributions on special subjects were published as special number known as Indian Medical Research Memoirs, a supplementary series to the IJMR and a total of 38 volumes on topics like plague, kala-azar, medicinal plants, rabies, filariasis, malaria and anopheline mosquitoes were brought out between 1924 and 1954. All the articles published in IJMR since inception have now been made available in pdf format in searchable interface with online editorial processing and management system. With effect from July 2012, IJMR has entered into its centenary year, today even after 100 years of its history it still remains the top most biomedical journal not only in India but probably in Asia, and has maintained high quality of all global standards and indexed by all the global awareness and alerting services. The Impact Factor of IJMR is 1.837, which is highest among Indian biomedical Journals. It is expected that IJMR will continue to benefit vast global biomedical fraternity and attain new heights in the coming years.

IJMR - A flagship journal of ICMR enters into centenary year

In the early part of the twentieth century, when India was reeling under the ravages of many life threatening diseases like malaria, filariasis, kala-azar, plague, tuberculosis, leprosy, etc, and medical research was gradually getting momentum with the opening of many research institutes of highest standard including Indian Research Fund Association (erstwhile ICMR) in 1911, there was no journal to disseminate the scientific knowledge. And most of the work carried out in India was being published in British journals or remain buried in the files of the Government offices. A new era in biomedical research was started in the year 1913 to fill this gap, when Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR) was started by the ICMR (then IRFA). The journal was mandated to publish research work conducted in India related to public health and hygiene, prevalent communicable and infectious diseases etc. The first issue of the IJMR was published in July 1913. Sir Pardey Lukis, the then Director General, Indian Medical Services (IMS) was the first Editor of the IJMR. IJMR was initially started as a quarterly publication with 4 issues in a year from 1913 to 1957 but with effect from 1958 it was made bimonthly and from 1964 became monthly and continuing with the same periodicity. During the period 18 supplements on the topics ranging from toxemias, hepatitis and kyasanur forest disease (KFD) to 100 years of malaria research and streptococcal research to HPV were brought out between 1954 and 2006 and 22 special issues on topics like cholera, dengue, chikungunya, malaria and ageing to tuberculosis research and from leishmaniasis to metal toxicity & HIV/AIDS were published between 1964 to 2011. Special sections on maternal and child nutrition, cardiovascular disease research and haemoglobinopathies were also brought out between 2009 and 2011.More extended contributions on special subjects were published as special number known as Indian Medical Research Memoirs, a supplementary series to the IJMR and a total of 38 volumes on topics like plague, kala-azar, medicinal plants, rabies, filariasis, malaria and anopheline mosquitoes were brought out between 1924 and 1954. All the articles published in IJMR since inception have now been made available in pdf format in searchable interface with online editorial processing and management system. With effect from July 2012, IJMR has entered into its centenary year, today even after 100 years of its history it still remains the top most biomedical journal not only in India but probably in Asia, and has maintained high quality of all global standards and indexed by all the global awareness and alerting services. The Impact Factor of IJMR is 1.837, which is highest among Indian biomedical Journals. It is expected that IJMR will continue to benefit vast global biomedical fraternity and attain new heights in the coming years.

Editorial

This special issue presents the abstracts of the Short Communications and Posters presented at the 12th International Congress of the European Association for Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology (EAVPT2012). Individual topics were introduced by keynote lectures as indicated. Only short summaries of these plenary and keynote lectures are presented here, but many of the keynote speakers have placed their presentations on the Congress Website. Moreover, keynote speakers have been invited to draft a review article on their respective topic(s). These reviews will be published in the forthcoming issues of this Journal. A short reference is also made to the different workshops organized within the Congress programme as a moment and opportunity to discuss in an informal way relevant and upcoming questions pertinent to veterinary therapeutics. Special information about these subjects can be obtained from the workshop coordinators. The programme of EAVPT 2012 was dense and covered many aspects of veterinary pharmacology and toxicology, the latter with emphasis on food safety assessment. Traditionally on the 1st day, investigations devoted to the pharmacokinetics of anti-infectives (antibiotics and antiparasitics) covered a prominent part of the programme. In the course of the Congress refined PD/PK models were presented, applied to establish optimal dosage regimens not only for antibiotics, but also for many other drugs commonly used in veterinary medicine. At the same time, the global emergence of antimicrobial resistance has added the demand of resistance avoidance-strategies to meet public health expectations. This aspect has to be considered in the overall assessment of therapeutic dosing regimens for antibiotics. An inherent part of kinetics is the investigation of biotransformation processes and the specific drug transporters that affect drug absorption and distribution. Understanding of the intraspecies (breed differences) and interspecies variation allows an individualization of therapeutic approaches and hence will improve drug efficacy and safety. At the same time, the (patho-)physiological variability within the treated group of animals (treated population) needs to be predicted and acknowledged (population kinetics). Drug research and development is more and more driven by modern molecular technologies. The increasing availability of -omic technologies, supported by worldwide activities to analyse the entire genome of all major target animal species in veterinary medicine, marks a new era in biomedical research. Research into inflammatory responses and pain control, but also in many other areas, utilizes these technologies to directly monitor a virtually unlimited number of signal transduction pathways and biological events. Hence, gene expression profiling and the targeted suppression (silencing) of selected genes (either in vitro or in the intact animal) are considered as powerful tools in modern drug development. Together with new drug delivery systems, supported by nanotechnology, ample opportunities are created for the identification of new drug classes in preventive (vaccines) and curative veterinary medicine. Gene expression profiling is also increasingly applied in all areas of toxicological research. In food safety, gene profiling is used to identify animals that have been exposed to (multiple) undesirable substances or that have been treated with illicit compounds. In general, food toxicology has evolved as a highly specialized area requiring the close cooperation of various disciplines in refined exposure assessment and hazard characterization (dose-response assessment). The advances in chemical analytical procedures towards multi-analyte techniques allow the simultaneous analysis of diverse food and feed contaminants. In turn, there is an increasing demand for new concepts in the toxicological assessment of complex mixtures, reflecting exposure of individuals and cohorts (human and animals) in real life. Last but not least, it should be mentioned that EAVPT Congresses always address veterinary education and a comparison of veterinary curricula from different continents and societies. Many participants from developing countries have an active interest in the educational programmes (particular distance learning programmes) and teaching materials used in undergraduate and graduate courses in veterinary pharmacology and toxicology (including food toxicology). Strengthening the multilateral communication about education and competence of veterinary professionals throughout the world will become a core objective of EAVPT in the forthcoming years. The education of veterinary specialists in pharmacology and toxicology in Europe is provided by the EBVS-recognized College for Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology (ECVPT). As an organization, ECVPT acts as a co-organizer of EAVPT Congresses in presenting training workshops and specific sessions. At EAVPT2012, a one-day pre-congress course in quantitative pharmacology was offered, and ECVPT diplomates were among the most active congress participants. The last session of an EAVPT Congress traditionally includes reflections of past and future objectives in veterinary pharmacology and toxicology and an invitation to the next EAVPT Congress. The forthcoming 13th International Congress of the European Association for Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology will be held in Nantes, France, in the summer of 2015.

Molecular epigenetics: dawn of a new era of biomedical research

Molecular epigenetics: dawn of a new era of biomedical research

Trends in the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Patent Field

The successful derivation of human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines in late 1990s marks the birth of a new era in biomedical research. In the USA, this landmark invention is protected by granted composition-of-matter patents. In addition to these patents, several others have been granted on further development of hES cell research, such as on differentiated cell types and in vitro and in vivo use aspects. In Europe, there is presently no consensus pertaining to the patentability of hES cells, and all patent applications pending at the European patent office are therefore awaiting a principal decision by the Enlarged Board of Appeal. The authors argue that it will be of importance to the stem cell industry that patents are granted on inventions downstream in the value chain, e.g on specialised cell types derived from hES cells and different drug discovery applications. Patents and patent applications on such inventions for the three germ layers ectoderm/neuro, endoderm/hepato and mesoderm/cardio have been examined. The number of patents increased in the period 2001 to 2006 for all three lineages with ectoderm/neuro as the most patent intensive field. There where 9-13 times more US patent applications filed related to the three lineages compared to in Europe.

The Future of Interdisciplinary Research and Training: How to Conquer the Silo Guardians

We have entered a new era in biomedical research in which large interdisciplinary teams are being established to answer important scientific questions. Scientists of multidisciplinary backgrounds within universities are combining forces and inter-institutional consortia that include alliances between academia and industry are springing up around the country to generate breakthrough advances. A number of driving forces are at work to establish these collaborative research approaches. By contrast, there also are barriers to be surmounted by institutions with silo mentalities for effective partnerships to be established. In order for this new era of research to reach maximal effectiveness, new approaches to education of the young and retraining of established administrators and scientists must take place. These issues were explored thoroughly at the 2006 annual meeting of the Association of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Neurobiology Chairpersons (AACBNC) that was held in Aruba from January 18 to 21. The theme of this historic meeting was the Future of Interdisciplinary Research and Training: Breaking Down the Barriers. In this introductory article, we discuss the formation of a trendsetting Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Technology, the concept of the AACBNC meeting, and the influence of the Institute on the content of the meeting. The proceedings of this meeting, including Nobel Laureate Papers and Nobel Round-Table Discussions on the future of interdisciplinary research and training, are contained in this special issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, a journal dedicated to the publication of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in the biomedical sciences.

Achieving pathogenesis understanding of ocular diseases by deciphering the underlying molecular pathways

The field of ophthalmology research has experienced a revolution since the 1970's, when molecular biology techniques were gradually and widely adopted. Many of the developments generated impact that went far beyond the field of ophthalmology. A classic case was the identification and characterization of the Retinoblastoma susceptibility gene (Rb), whose impact went far beyond the rare and obscure disease, as it provides key evidence for the concept of tumor suppressor gene and the "two hit" theory of tumor formation. The identification of scores of genes involved in retinitis pigmentosum (pigmentosa), on the other hand, show cases the complexity of multi-factorial diseases. Ophthalmology researchers in China have been quick in integrating these novel tools into their research. However, the field still lags behind in the effective use of these technologies to carry out in-depth inquiries into key disease mechanisms. The advent of "omics" technologies heralded a new era in biomedical research that allows for the global and rapid survey of genetic and biochemical profiles. Effective integration of these novel technologies into ophthalmology research will have far-reaching impact for the whole field.

Molecular Biology in Orthopaedics

Randy N. Rosier and Christopher H. Evans, editors. Rosemont, Illinois: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 2003. 447 pages. $115.00 ($95.00 AAOS member). During the last decade, phenomenal discoveries have been made in molecular biology, and powerful new methods have been developed for elucidating the role of abnormalities in gene expression in the pathogenesis of human diseases. Scientists have appreciated the implications of these new developments. They understand that we have entered a new era in biomedical research, and they have applied this new knowledge and methodology in diverse areas of orthopaedic research, particularly to studies of the biologic processes that are involved in the formation of cartilage and bone during development and in the repair of bone in the adult. This excellent monograph provides extensive information regarding recent developments in our understanding of the molecular biology of the musculoskeletal system. The monograph is based on the proceedings of a workshop called “Molecular Biology in Orthopaedics,” which was held in September 2001. More than fifty scientists …

Who owns life?

With the mapping of the human genome and the development of cloning and other genetic engineering techniques, scientists have embarked upon a whole new era of biomedical research and with it a maze of complex ethical and legal questions. This excellent collection of articles by scientists, ethicists, and legal experts analyses the convergence of biotechnology and intellectual property legislation, which has given rise to these new moral dilemmas. It will serve as a valuable reference work to give educated lay readers a starting point to make their own judgements about matters we will all face in the near future.

Molecular medicine and information-based targeted healthcare.

The convergence of genomics and informatics heralds a new era of biomedical research, offering unbridled opportunities for bioentrepreneurs.

Cytokine Signal Networks and a New Era in Biomedical Research

Cytokine Signal Networks and a New Era in Biomedical Research

Cytokine Signal Network and New Era of Biomedical Research

Cytokine Signal Network and New Era of Biomedical Research