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Persnal Medicine Unleashed:
Using Zebrafish Avatars of BRAIN Cancer Patients to Predict Therapeutic Outcomes and Explore Novel Therapies THE BLOG |
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 Our co-clinical trial phase of sample collection is progressing at a remarkable pace. Since our first sample collection a few weeks ago, we are already counting 4 collected brain samples from oncology patients at the Neurosurgery Department of the Nicosia General Hospital. What is also striking to observe is that the sample collected was at a considerable quantity given the type of surgery required and the diagnosis.
ℹ️ What happens after we collect each sample? There are four steps that need to be completed. 1) First, the collection itself, requires high-level organization and communication between the clinical and research team members. The sample is collected in tubes filled with tissue culture medium, on ice, and needs to travel from the surgery room to the lab in less than 15mins. 2) The second step is to "clean" the sample upon arrival, by washing it with PBS and cutting it down with special microsurgery equipment into very fine pieces (less than 1mm). 3) The third step is to distinguish the fine brain tissue ("clean" sample) from other bits of tissue that co-existed in the sample ("dirty" sample). These two samples are processed individually from now on. 4) After a few steps of more washing and centrifuging of the "clean" sample, it is processed for deep freezing at -80'C until its ready to be used either in vitro or in vivo for transplantation in zebrafish. The "dirty" sample is processed further (shredded & washed) and incubated in tissue culture flasks to identify & distinguish alive tumor & other TME cells by adherence to the flask surface, from dead cells floating. The time taken to complete step 4 in our case, is less than 1.5 hours, which is well within the quality standard of <3 hours that is expected in high quality studies, as described in Good Clinical Standards.
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📢 𝗔𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘇𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡! we have now completed the collection, transfer, processing, and cryopreservation of our FIRST human glioblastoma tumour sample within the project workflow! The sample will be used for the generation of Zebrafish Avatars (patient-derived orthotopic zebrafish cancer xenografts) for that patient. 🩺 This is an important step for us because it marks the real operational start of the zBRAIN co-clinical trial; a core part of the zBRAIN platform. It also confirms that the protocols, logistics, and coordination required for patient-linked sample handling are firmly in place and working as intended. 🤝 From the clinic to the laboratory, this process depended on close organization and teamwork across multiple people and groups. It was a strong reminder that translational research is never a one-person effort. 💪 A sincere thank you and well done to our clinical partners at the 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 led by Director Dr Akis Lambrou, with special thanks to the surgeon 𝗗𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 and his surgical team, and of course to our fantastic laboratory team at the University of Cyprus, Senior Post-Doc 𝗗𝗿 𝗞𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘀 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘂 and Research Assistant Ioanna Koupepia, whose preparation, coordination, and professionalism helped this first milestone run smoothly from sample collection to cryopreservation.
⚕️ At the same time, milestones like this should always be viewed with perspective. Behind every sample is a patient facing a very serious diagnosis, and that reality remains central to why this work matters. We look forward to sharing next steps as this sample moves into the xenografting phase of the workflow! |
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