scholarly journals Experimental Models for Fungal Keratitis: An Overview of Principles and Protocols

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1713
Author(s):  
Micaela L. Montgomery ◽  
Kevin K. Fuller
Keyword(s):  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Fungal Keratitis ◽  
Corneal Tissue ◽  
Host Determinants ◽  
Fungal Interactions

Fungal keratitis is a potentially blinding infection of the cornea that afflicts diverse patient populations worldwide. The development of better treatment options requires a more thorough understanding of both microbial and host determinants of pathology, and a spectrum of experimental models have been developed toward this end. In vivo (animal) models most accurately capture complex pathological outcomes, but protocols may be challenging to implement and vary widely across research groups. In vitro models allow for the molecular dissection of specific host cell–fungal interactions, but they do so without the appropriate environmental/structural context; ex vivo (corneal explant) models provide the benefits of intact corneal tissue, but they do not provide certain pathological features, such as inflammation. In this review, we endeavor to outline the key features of these experimental models as well as describe key technical variations that could impact study design and outcomes.

scholarly journals Complementarity of clinical trials, model systems, and metabolomic workflow to unravel the healthy effects of foods: BEBESANO vs MODELSANO: A case study

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Agulló ◽  
◽  
Raúl Domínguez-Perles ◽  
Cristina García-Viguera ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Food Science ◽  
Clinical Models ◽  
Safe Condition

Nowadays, the health benefits associated with the consumption of plant-based food constitute a hot topic. To further demonstrate such benefits, related to antioxidant, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as the reduction of the risk of several pathophysiological conditions, the study of bioaccessibility and bioavailability of specific food’s constituents, which require interdisciplinary networks, is essential. In this frame, although different experimental models can be developed, the workflow described in the present work support the application of intervention trials in humans as the first option to study the truly effects on health of foods (e.g., plant-based foods), due to the safe condition of them and the realistic approach of this kind of studies, later explored in depth resorting to in vitro, ex vivo, and pre-clinical models, as the most appropriate workflow to get reliable results in the field of Food Science and Nutrition, regarding mechanisms of actions and molecular interactions. Thereby, the work described in the present review is developed in the frame of two consecutive and interconnected projects: BEBESANO (concluded) and MODELSANO (in process) that demonstrate the efficiency of the workflow proposed for research in the Food Science and Nutrition fields. In this regard, in the frame of BEBESANO, acute and longitudinal interventions in humans, devoted to set-up bioavailability of bioactive compounds, followed by functional studies in vivo upon pre-clinical models were conducted to unravel the relationship between bioactive compounds in plant-based beverages and the use of sweetener replacer. Now, most relevant findings from BEBESANO are being further explored in the newly granted project MODELSANO, which is aimed to uncover gaps of knowledge about the mechanisms behind the descriptive results obtained in BEBESANO, using more restrictive in vitro models (allowing the development of studies on the cellular and molecular pathways involved), and integrative cutting edge mathematical modelling alternatives. Keywords: In vivo; in vitro; bioavailability; bioaccessibility; bioactivity; health-promoting foods; metabolomic; mechanistic studies

scholarly journals Ocular Toxoplasmosis: Mechanisms of Retinal Infection and Experimental Models

Parasitologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-60
Author(s):  
Veronica Rodriguez Fernandez ◽  
Giovanni Casini ◽  
Fabrizio Bruschi
Keyword(s):  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Cell Damage ◽  
Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Ocular Toxoplasmosis ◽  
Cell Infection

Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii and affects many individuals throughout the world. Infection may occur through congenital or acquired routes. The parasites enter the blood circulation and reach both the retina and the retinal pigment epithelium, where they may cause cell damage and cell death. Different routes of access are used by T. gondii to reach the retina through the retinal endothelium: by transmission inside leukocytes, as free parasites through a paracellular route, or after endothelial cell infection. A main feature of OT is the induction of an important inflammatory state, and the course of infection has been shown to be influenced by the host immunogenetics. On the other hand, there is evidence that the T. gondii phenotype also has an impact on the distribution of the pathology in different areas. Although considerable knowledge has been acquired on OT, a deeper knowledge of its mechanisms is necessary to provide new, more targeted treatment strategies. In particular, in addition to in vitro and in vivo experimental models, organotypic, ex vivo retinal explants may be useful in this direction.

scholarly journals Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Preclinical in vitro and ex vivo Models

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beate Gündel ◽  
Xinyuan Liu ◽  
Matthias Löhr ◽  
Rainer Heuchel
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
3D Cell Culture ◽  
Therapy Resistance ◽  
Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
The Past ◽  
Slow Progress

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most overlooked cancers despite its dismal median survival time of 6 months. The biggest challenges in improving patient survival are late diagnosis due to lack of diagnostic markers, and limited treatment options due to almost complete therapy resistance. The past decades of research identified the dense stroma and the complex interplay/crosstalk between the cancer- and the different stromal cells as the main culprits for the slow progress in improving patient outcome. For better ex vivo simulation of this complex tumor microenvironment the models used in PDAC research likewise need to become more diverse. Depending on the focus of the investigation, several in vitro and in vivo models for PDAC have been established in the past years. Particularly, 3D cell culture such as spheroids and organoids have become more frequently used. This review aims to examine current PDAC in vitro models, their inherent limitations, and their successful implementations in research.

scholarly journals Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Citrus Flavonoid Hesperetin: Special Focus on Neurological Disorders

Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amjad Khan ◽  
Muhammad Ikram ◽  
Jong Ryeal Hahm ◽  
Myeong Ok Kim
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Neurodegenerative disorders have emerged as a serious health issue in the current era. The most common neurodegenerative disorders are Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These diseases involve progressive impairment of neurodegeneration and memory impairment. A wide range of compounds have been identified as potential neuroprotective agents against different models of neurodegeneration both in vivo and in vitro. Hesperetin, a flavanone class of citrus flavonoid, is a derivative of hesperidin found in citrus fruits such as oranges, grapes, and lemons. It has been extensively reported that hesperetin exerts neuroprotective effects in experimental models of neurodegenerative diseases. In this systematic review, we have compiled all the studies conducted on hesperetin in both in vivo and in vitro models of neurodegeneration. Here, we have used an approach to lessen the bias in each study, providing a least biased, broad understanding of findings and impartial conclusions of the strength of evidence and the reliability of findings. In this review, we collected different papers from a wide range of journals describing the beneficial effects of hesperetin on animal models of neurodegeneration. Our results demonstrated consistent neuroprotective effects of hesperetin against different models of neurodegeneration. In addition, we have summarized its underlying mechanisms. This study provides the foundations for future studies and recommendations of further mechanistic approaches to conduct preclinical studies on hesperetin in different models.

scholarly journals Experimental Models in Rheumatoid Arthritis:

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-134
Author(s):  
Verônica Assalin Zorgetto-Pinheiro ◽  
Alexandre Meira de Vasconcelos ◽  
Rafael Sanaiotte Pinheiro ◽  
Danielle Bogo ◽  
Iandara Schettert Silva
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Drug Testing ◽  
Pathological Condition ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Methodological Tool ◽  
Class 1

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune and chronic pathological condition characterized by an inflammatory process of the joints It is a complex and multifactorial, involving genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors and the use of experimental models is required to better understand its pathology and for drug testing. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic literature review on experimental models in rheumatoid arthritis using IRAMUTEQ, a software that analysis, qualitatively and quantitatively, text fragments, as a methodological tool. After searching for articles published in the last five years on Scopus database and applying the exclusion criteria, we ended with 84 articles. The most commonly employed experimental models was the arthritis induction by inoculation of the Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA), followed by the use of combined methodologies and the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). The analyses of abstracts by the IRAMUTEQ software provided a classification according to their textual elements in four classes, which were grouped into three main themes: in vivo models (class 1), clinical practice and traditional medicine (classes 2 and 3) and in vitro models (class 4) and it was also possible to build a similarity tree of the terms present in the abstracts and a word cloud with the most cited terms. Thus, the use of the IRAMUTEQ software as a methodological tool has been satisfactory, since it was possible to identify the main experimental models used, keywords, pathological processes and molecules involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis free of the researchers’ bias, in addition to being a tool for visual and intuitive results.

scholarly journals Recreating Tumour Complexity in a Dish: Organoid Models to Study Liver Cancer Cells and their Extracellular Environment

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1706 ◽  
Author(s):  
van Tienderen ◽  
Groot Koerkamp ◽  
IJzermans ◽  
van der Laan ◽  
Verstegen
Keyword(s):  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Primary Liver Cancer ◽  
Tumour Microenvironment ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Liver Tumours ◽  
Extracellular Environment

Primary liver cancer, consisting predominantly of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. This high malignancy is related to the complex and dynamic interactions between tumour cells, stromal cells and the extracellular environment. Novel in vitro models that can recapitulate the tumour are essential in increasing our understanding of liver cancer. Herein, primary liver cancer-derived organoids have opened up new avenues due to their patient-specificity, self-organizing ability and potential recapitulation of many of the tumour properties. Organoids are solely of epithelial origin, but incorporation into co-culture models can enable the investigation of the cellular component of the tumour microenvironment. However, the extracellular component also plays a vital role in cancer progression and representation is lacking within current in vitro models. In this review, organoid technology is discussed in the context of liver cancer models through comparisons to other cell culture systems. In addition, the role of the tumour extracellular environment in primary liver cancer will be highlighted with an emphasis on its importance in in vitro modelling. Converging novel organoid-based models with models incorporating the native tumour microenvironment could lead to experimental models that can better recapitulate liver tumours in vivo.

Therapeutics and Research Related to Glioblastoma: Advancements and Future Targets

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 186-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishal Chavda ◽  
Vimal Patel ◽  
Dhananjay Yadav ◽  
Jigar Shah ◽  
Snehal Patel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Options ◽  
Graphene Quantum Dots ◽  
Primary Brain Tumor ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Molecular Pathways ◽  
Dismal Prognosis ◽  
Novel Drugs

Glioblastoma, the most common primary brain tumor, has been recognized as one of the most lethal and fatal human tumors. It has a dismal prognosis, and survival after diagnosis is less than 15 months. Surgery and radiotherapy are the only available treatment options at present. However, numerous approaches have been made to upgrade in vivo and in vitro models with the primary goal of assessing abnormal molecular pathways that would be suitable targets for novel therapeutic approaches. Novel drugs, delivery systems, and immunotherapy strategies to establish new multimodal therapies that target the molecular pathways involved in tumor initiation and progression in glioblastoma are being studied. The goal of this review was to describe the pathophysiology, neurodegeneration mechanisms, signaling pathways, and future therapeutic targets associated with glioblastomas. The key features have been detailed to provide an up-to-date summary of the advancement required in current diagnosis and therapeutics for glioblastoma. The role of nanoparticulate system graphene quantum dots as suitable therapy for glioblastoma has also been discussed.

Organoids as ex vivo culture system to investigate infection-host interaction in gastric pre-carcinogenesis.

2022 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Di Giorgio ◽  
Rosalinda Roselli ◽  
Michele Biagioli ◽  
Silvia Marchianò ◽  
Eleonora Distrutti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Mucosa ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Mucosal Injury ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
World Population ◽  
Barr Virus

Abstract: Advancements in stem cell research have enabled the establishment of three-dimensional (3D) primary cell cultures, known as organoids. These culture systems follow the organization of an in vivo organ, as they enclose the different epithelial cell lines of which it is normally composed. Generation of these 3D cultures has bridged the gap between in vitro models, made up by two-dimensional (2D) cancer cell lines cultures, and in vivo animal models, that have major differences with human diseases. Organoids are increasingly used as a model to study colonization of gastric mucosa by infectious agents and to better understand host-microbe interactions and the molecular events that lead to infection, pathogen-epithelial cells interactions and mechanisms of gastric mucosal injury. In this review we will focus on the role of organoids as a tool to investigate molecular interactions of Helicobacter (H.) pylori and Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) and gastric mucosa and how these infections, that affect ≈ 45% of the world population, might progress to gastric cancer, a highly prevalent cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death.

scholarly journals Prospects and Challenges of Translational Corneal Bioprinting

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Fuest ◽  
Gary Hin-Fai Yam ◽  
Jodhbir S. Mehta ◽  
Daniela F. Duarte Campos
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Corneal Transplantation ◽  
Human Cornea ◽  
Corneal Tissue ◽  
Full Thickness ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Spatial Control

Corneal transplantation remains the ultimate treatment option for advanced stromal and endothelial disorders. Corneal tissue engineering has gained increasing interest in recent years, as it can bypass many complications of conventional corneal transplantation. The human cornea is an ideal organ for tissue engineering, as it is avascular and immune-privileged. Mimicking the complex mechanical properties, the surface curvature, and stromal cytoarchitecure of the in vivo corneal tissue remains a great challenge for tissue engineering approaches. For this reason, automated biofabrication strategies, such as bioprinting, may offer additional spatial control during the manufacturing process to generate full-thickness cell-laden 3D corneal constructs. In this review, we discuss recent advances in bioprinting and biomaterials used for in vitro and ex vivo corneal tissue engineering, corneal cell-biomaterial interactions after bioprinting, and future directions of corneal bioprinting aiming at engineering a full-thickness human cornea in the lab.

scholarly journals Patient-Derived Organoids as a Model for Cancer Drug Discovery

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3483
Author(s):  
Colin Rae ◽  
Francesco Amato ◽  
Chiara Braconi
Keyword(s):  
Drug Testing ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Tumour Microenvironment ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Personalized Therapy ◽  
Cancer Drug ◽  
Patient Response

In the search for the ideal model of tumours, the use of three-dimensional in vitro models is advancing rapidly. These are intended to mimic the in vivo properties of the tumours which affect cancer development, progression and drug sensitivity, and take into account cell–cell interactions, adhesion and invasiveness. Importantly, it is hoped that successful recapitulation of the structure and function of the tissue will predict patient response, permitting the development of personalized therapy in a timely manner applicable to the clinic. Furthermore, the use of co-culture systems will allow the role of the tumour microenvironment and tissue–tissue interactions to be taken into account and should lead to more accurate predictions of tumour development and responses to drugs. In this review, the relative merits and limitations of patient-derived organoids will be discussed compared to other in vitro and ex vivo cancer models. We will focus on their use as models for drug testing and personalized therapy and how these may be improved. Developments in technology will also be considered, including the use of microfluidics, 3D bioprinting, cryopreservation and circulating tumour cell-derived organoids. These have the potential to enhance the consistency, accessibility and availability of these models.

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