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Slušná ĽK, Balog M. Review of Indicators in the Context of Biobanking. Biopreserv Biobank 2023; 21:318-326. [PMID: 36099204 DOI: 10.1089/bio.2022.0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Biobanks that intend to serve as high-performing and stable elements of an innovative research ecosystem must have an established system for regular measurement and evaluation using appropriately set indicators. The main objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of indicators in the context of biobanking, with new perspectives to highlight the existence of numerous options and introduce indicators that could help overcome problems associated with the difficult assessment of the impact of biobanks. Methods: A literature review was performed to identify publications relevant to the topic of indicators in biobanking. The Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed databases were searched using specific keywords. In addition, three articles that focused on indicators designed for the evaluation of research infrastructures were included in the review. Results: Based on the scientific literature for the biobanking field, many types of quantitative and qualitative indicators exist. They are mainly related to the quantity and quality of data and samples, their distribution, the monitoring of research projects, and subsequent publication outputs. The indicators identified in the biobanking literature primarily focus on the outcome, not the impact. Conclusions: Indicators identified in the biobanking literature may be further expanded with suggestions designed for other types of research infrastructures, while considering the context where biobanks operate and the needs of individual biobanking stakeholders. The establishment of a comprehensive monitoring system that captures all necessary elements is crucial for modern biobanks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Miroslav Balog
- Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, SAS, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Adachi T, El-Hattab AW, Jain R, Nogales Crespo KA, Quirland Lazo CI, Scarpa M, Summar M, Wattanasirichaigoon D. Enhancing Equitable Access to Rare Disease Diagnosis and Treatment around the World: A Review of Evidence, Policies, and Challenges. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4732. [PMID: 36981643 PMCID: PMC10049067 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20064732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This document provides a comprehensive summary of evidence on the current situation of rare diseases (RDs) globally and regionally, including conditions, practices, policies, and regulations, as well as the challenges and barriers faced by RD patients, their families, and caregivers. The document builds on a review of academic literature and policies and a process of validation and feedback by a group of seven experts from across the globe. Panelists were selected based on their academic merit, expertise, and knowledge regarding the RD environment. The document is divided into five main sections: (1) methodology and objective; (2) background and context; (3) overview of the current situation and key challenges related to RDs covering six dimensions: burden of disease, patient journey, social impact, disease management, RD-related policies, and research and development; (4) recommendations; and (5) conclusions. The recommendations are derived from the discussion undertaken by the experts on the findings of this review and provide a set of actionable solutions to the challenges and barriers to improving access to RD diagnosis and treatment around the world. The recommendations can support critical decision-making, guiding efforts by a broad range of RDs stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, manufacturers, researchers, and patient advocacy groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeya Adachi
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
- Department of Medical Regulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
- United Japanese-Researchers Around-the-World (UJA), Isehara 259-1143, Japan
| | - Ayman W. El-Hattab
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Organization for Rare Diseases, Dubai 500767, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Sharjah, Sharjah 72772, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ritu Jain
- Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association (DEBRA), Singapore 059811, Singapore
- Asia Pacific Alliance of Rare Disease Organizations (APARDO), Singapore 188976, Singapore
- Language and Communication Centre, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | | | - Camila I. Quirland Lazo
- Health Technology Assessment Unit, Cancer Research Department, Arturo López Perez Foundation, Santiago 7500921, Chile
- School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 080193 Barcelona, Spain
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago 8380000, Chile
| | - Maurizio Scarpa
- European Reference Network for Hereditary Metabolic Diseases (MetabERN), 33100 Udine, Italy
- Regional Coordinating Center for Rare Diseases Friuli Venezia Giulia, Udine University Hospital, 33100 Udine, Italy
- Brains for Brain Foundation, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Marshall Summar
- The Translational Science Training Program, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Maryland, MD 20814, USA
- Children’s National Medical Centre, Washington, DC 20010, USA
- National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), Quincy, MA 02169, USA
- Children’s National Rare Disease Institute, Washington, DC 20012, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Duangrurdee Wattanasirichaigoon
- Thai Rare Disease Foundation (ThaiRDF), Bangkok 10230, Thailand
- Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (PWSA) of Thailand, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Rare Disease Working Committee, Thai National Health Security Office (NHSO), Bangkok 10210, Thailand
- Sub-Working Committee for Rare Disease Medicine, Thailand National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), National Drug Policy Division, Food and Drug Administration, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
- Medical Genetics Network, Genetics Society of Thailand, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Thailand Medical Genetics and Genomics Association (TMGGA), Bangkok 10510, Thailand
- Asia Pacific Society of Human Genetics (APSHG), Singapore 229899, Singapore
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
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Kühn S, Williams ME, Dercksen M, Sass JO, van der Sluis R. The glycine N-acyltransferases, GLYAT and GLYATL1, contribute to the detoxification of isovaleryl-CoA - an in-silico and in vitro validation. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:1236-1248. [PMID: 36817957 PMCID: PMC9932296 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Isovaleric acidemia (IVA), due to isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase (IVD) deficiency, results in the accumulation of isovaleryl-CoA, isovaleric acid and secondary metabolites. The increase in these metabolites decreases mitochondrial energy production and increases oxidative stress. This contributes to the neuropathological features of IVA. A general assumption in the literature exists that glycine N-acyltransferase (GLYAT) plays a role in alleviating the symptoms experienced by IVA patients through the formation of N-isovalerylglycine. GLYAT forms part of the phase II glycine conjugation pathway in the liver and detoxifies excess acyl-CoA's namely benzoyl-CoA. However, very few studies support GLYAT as the enzyme that conjugates isovaleryl-CoA to glycine. Furthermore, GLYATL1, a paralogue of GLYAT, conjugates phenylacetyl-CoA to glutamine. Therefore, GLYATL1 might also be a candidate for the formation of N-isovalerylglycine. Based on the findings from the literature review, we proposed that GLYAT or GLYATL1 can form N-isovalerylglycine in IVA patients. To test this hypothesis, we performed an in-silico analysis to determine which enzyme is more likely to conjugate isovaleryl-CoA with glycine using AutoDock Vina. Thereafter, we performed in vitro validation using purified enzyme preparations. The in-silico and in vitro findings suggested that both enzymes could form N-isovaleryglycine albeit at lower affinities than their preferred substrates. Furthermore, an increase in glycine concentration does not result in an increase in N-isovalerylglycine formation. The results from the critical literature appraisal, in-silico, and in vitro validation, suggest the importance of further investigating the reaction kinetics and binding behaviors between these substrates and enzymes in understanding the pathophysiology of IVA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Kühn
- Focus Area for Human Metabolomics, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Monray E. Williams
- Focus Area for Human Metabolomics, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Marli Dercksen
- Focus Area for Human Metabolomics, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Jörn Oliver Sass
- Research Group Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Institute for Functional Gene Analytics, Department of Natural Sciences, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, von-Liebig-Str. 20, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany
| | - Rencia van der Sluis
- Focus Area for Human Metabolomics, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa,Corresponding author.
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Isono M, Kokado M, Kato K. Why does it take so long for rare disease patients to get an accurate diagnosis?—A qualitative investigation of patient experiences of hereditary angioedema. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265847. [PMID: 35303740 PMCID: PMC8932585 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Many patients with rare diseases experience a diagnostic delay. Although several quantitative studies have been reported, few studies have used a qualitative approach to directly examine how patients with rare disease obtain a diagnosis and why it takes many years. In this study, we focused on hereditary angioedema (HAE), which has been reported to have long diagnostic delays, despite the knowledge that not having an accurate diagnosis can cause life-threatening problems. Objective The objective of this study was to analyze patients’ experiences and elucidate why it takes a long time to reach a diagnosis of HAE. We also aimed to propose possible solutions for the problem. Methods A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted. Nine patients who took over 5 years from the presentation of initial symptoms to an HAE diagnosis participated. The contents of the interviews were subjected to an inductive contents analysis. Results By analyzing the patients’ struggles that were experienced during the undiagnosed period, three themes were generated: (1) acceptance and resignation towards their conditions, (2) proactive search for a cause, and (3) independent efforts outside of the hospital. While a few patients continued to seek out a diagnosis during the undiagnosed period, many had become accustomed to their health condition without suspecting a rare disease. Conclusions We found that one of the most important factors related to the prolonged undiagnosed period is the lack of suspicion of a rare disease by patients and their medical professionals. While current policies tend to focus on the period from suspecting rare diseases to the time of a clear diagnosis, our results strongly suggest that measures are needed to facilitate patients and clinicians to become aware of rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moeko Isono
- Department of Biomedical Ethics and Public Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Minori Kokado
- Department of Biomedical Ethics and Public Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kato
- Department of Biomedical Ethics and Public Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- * E-mail:
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