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Leonel ECR, Dadashzadeh A, Moghassemi S, Vlieghe H, Wyns C, Orellana R, Amorim CA. New Solutions for Old Problems: How Reproductive Tissue Engineering Has Been Revolutionizing Reproductive Medicine. Ann Biomed Eng 2023; 51:2143-2171. [PMID: 37468688 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-023-03321-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Acquired disorders and congenital defects of the male and female reproductive systems can have profound impacts on patients, causing sexual and endocrine dysfunction and infertility, as well as psychosocial consequences that affect their self-esteem, identity, sexuality, and relationships. Reproductive tissue engineering (REPROTEN) is a promising approach to restore fertility and improve the quality of life of patients with reproductive disorders by developing, replacing, or regenerating cells, tissues, and organs from the reproductive and urinary systems. In this review, we explore the latest advancements in REPROTEN techniques and their applications for addressing degenerative conditions in male and female reproductive organs. We discuss current research and clinical outcomes and highlight the potential of 3D constructs utilizing biomaterials such as scaffolds, cells, and biologically active molecules. Our review offers a comprehensive guide for researchers and clinicians, providing insights into how to reestablish reproductive tissue structure and function using innovative surgical approaches and biomaterials. We highlight the benefits of REPROTEN for patients, including preservation of fertility and hormonal production, reconstruction of uterine and cervical structures, and restoration of sexual and urinary functions. Despite significant progress, REPROTEN still faces ethical and technical challenges that need to be addressed. Our review underscores the importance of continued research in this field to advance the development of effective and safe REPROTEN approaches for patients with reproductive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen C R Leonel
- Department of Histology, Embryology and Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Arezoo Dadashzadeh
- Pôle de Recherche en Physiopathologie de la Reproduction, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 55, bte B1.55.03, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Saeid Moghassemi
- Pôle de Recherche en Physiopathologie de la Reproduction, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 55, bte B1.55.03, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hanne Vlieghe
- Pôle de Recherche en Physiopathologie de la Reproduction, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 55, bte B1.55.03, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christine Wyns
- Pôle de Recherche en Physiopathologie de la Reproduction, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 55, bte B1.55.03, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Gynecology-Andrology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Renan Orellana
- Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Christiani A Amorim
- Pôle de Recherche en Physiopathologie de la Reproduction, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 55, bte B1.55.03, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
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Afshar L, Aghayan HR, Sadighi J, Arjmand B, Hashemi SM, Basiri M, Samani RO, Ashtiani MK, Azin SA, Hajizadeh-Saffar E, Gooshki ES, Hamidieh AA, Rezania Moallem MR, Azin SM, Shariatinasab S, Soleymani-Goloujeh M, Baharvand H. Ethics of research on stem cells and regenerative medicine: ethical guidelines in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:396. [PMID: 32928295 PMCID: PMC7489032 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01916-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regenerative medicine plays a major role in biomedicine, and given the ever-expanding boundaries of this knowledge, numerous ethical considerations have been raised. MAIN TEXT Rapid advancement of regenerative medicine science and technology in Iran, emerged the Iranian National Committee for Ethics in Biomedical Research to develop a comprehensive national ethical guideline. Therefore, the present ethical guideline which comprises eleven chapters was developed in 2019 and approved in early 2020. The titles of these chapters were selected based on the ethical considerations of various aspects of the field of regenerative medicine: (1) ethical principles of research on stem cells and regenerative medicine; (2) ethical considerations for research on stem cells (embryonic stem cells, epiblast stem cells, tissue-specific stem cells, stem cells derived from transdifferentiation, induced pluripotent stem cells [iPSCs], germline pluripotent stem cells, germline stem cells, and somatic cell nuclear transfer [SCNT] stem cells); (3) ethical considerations for research on somatic cells in regenerative medicine (adult somatic cells, fetal tissue somatic cells, and somatic cells derived from pregnancy products [other than fetus]); (4) ethical considerations for research on gametes in regenerative medicine; (5) ethical considerations for research related to genetic manipulation (human and animal) in regenerative medicine; (6) ethical considerations for research on tissue engineering in regenerative medicine; (7) ethical considerations for pre-clinical studies in regenerative medicine; (8) ethical considerations for clinical trials in regenerative medicine; (9) ethical considerations for stem cells and regenerative medicine bio-banks; (10) ethical considerations for privacy and confidentiality; and (11) ethical considerations for obtaining informed consent. CONCLUSION This article discusses the process of developing the present ethical guidelines and its practical points. We hope that it can play an important worldwide role in advancing ethics of research on stem cells and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Afshar
- Department of Medical Ethics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid-Reza Aghayan
- Cell therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jila Sadighi
- Department of Health Promotion, Health Metrics Research Center, Institute for Health Sciences Research, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Babak Arjmand
- Cell therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed-Mahmoud Hashemi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Basiri
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Banihashem Sq., Banihashem St., Ressalat highway,1665659911, P.O. Box: 16635-148, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Omani Samani
- Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Kazemi Ashtiani
- Department of Cell Engineering, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed-Ali Azin
- Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ensiyeh Hajizadeh-Saffar
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Shamsi Gooshki
- Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center, Department of Medical Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir-Ali Hamidieh
- Pediatric cell therapy research center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Reza Rezania Moallem
- Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed-Mohammad Azin
- Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sadegh Shariatinasab
- Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Soleymani-Goloujeh
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Banihashem Sq., Banihashem St., Ressalat highway,1665659911, P.O. Box: 16635-148, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Baharvand
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Banihashem Sq., Banihashem St., Ressalat highway,1665659911, P.O. Box: 16635-148, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran.
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Ooi L, Dottori M, Cook AL, Engel M, Gautam V, Grubman A, Hernández D, King AE, Maksour S, Targa Dias Anastacio H, Balez R, Pébay A, Pouton C, Valenzuela M, White A, Williamson R. If Human Brain Organoids Are the Answer to Understanding Dementia, What Are the Questions? Neuroscientist 2020; 26:438-454. [PMID: 32281909 PMCID: PMC7539594 DOI: 10.1177/1073858420912404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Because our beliefs regarding our individuality, autonomy, and personhood are intimately bound up with our brains, there is a public fascination with cerebral organoids, the "mini-brain," the "brain in a dish". At the same time, the ethical issues around organoids are only now being explored. What are the prospects of using human cerebral organoids to better understand, treat, or prevent dementia? Will human organoids represent an improvement on the current, less-than-satisfactory, animal models? When considering these questions, two major issues arise. One is the general challenge associated with using any stem cell-generated preparation for in vitro modelling (challenges amplified when using organoids compared with simpler cell culture systems). The other relates to complexities associated with defining and understanding what we mean by the term "dementia." We discuss 10 puzzles, issues, and stumbling blocks to watch for in the quest to model "dementia in a dish."
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Affiliation(s)
- Lezanne Ooi
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mirella Dottori
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anthony L Cook
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Martin Engel
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vini Gautam
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Alexandra Grubman
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Damián Hernández
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anna E King
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Simon Maksour
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Helena Targa Dias Anastacio
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rachelle Balez
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alice Pébay
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Colin Pouton
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Valenzuela
- Regenerative Neuroscience Group, Brain and Mind Centre and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anthony White
- Queensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert Williamson
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Scopetti M, Santurro A, Gatto V, La Russa R, Manetti F, D’Errico S, Frati P, Fineschi V. Mesenchymal stem cells in neurodegenerative diseases: Opinion review on ethical dilemmas. World J Stem Cells 2020; 12:168-177. [PMID: 32266049 PMCID: PMC7118285 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v12.i3.168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The treatment of neurodegenerative diseases presents a growing need for innovation in relation to recent evidence in the field of reconstructive therapy using stem cells. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders, and the advent of methods able to induce neuronal stem cell differentiation allowed to develop innovative therapeutic approaches offering the prospect of healthy and perfectly functional cell transplants, able to replace the sick ones. Hence the importance of deepening the state of the art regarding the clinical applications of advanced cell therapy products for the regeneration of nerve tissue. Besides representing a promising area of tissue transplant surgery and a great achievement in the field of neurodegenerative disease, stem cell research presents certain critical issues that need to be carefully examined from the ethical perspective. In fact, a subject so complex and not entirely explored requires a detailed scientific and ethical evaluation aimed at avoiding improper and ineffective use, rather than incorrect indications, technical inadequacies, and incongruous expectations. In fact, the clinical usefulness of stem cells will only be certain if able to provide the patient with safe, long-term and substantially more effective strategies than any other treatment available. The present paper provides an ethical assessment of tissue regeneration through mesenchymal stem cells in neurodegenerative diseases with the aim to rule out the fundamental issues related to research and clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Scopetti
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Alessandro Santurro
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Vittorio Gatto
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Raffaele La Russa
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Neuromed, Sapienza University of Roma, Pozzilli 86077, Italy
| | - Federico Manetti
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Stefano D’Errico
- UOC Risk Management, Quality and Accreditation, Sant'Andrea University Hospital of Rome, Rome 00189, Italy
| | - Paola Frati
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Neuromed, Sapienza University of Roma, Pozzilli 86077, Italy
| | - Vittorio Fineschi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Neuromed, Sapienza University of Roma, Pozzilli 86077, Italy
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