The cost of scientific excellence - could it be expensive and out of reach?

SCOPUS: ed.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Regeneracija mozga: od neuroznanstvene nade do bioetičkog problema

Razumijevanje građe mozga zasnivalo se na tradicionalnom stavu da u mozgu nakon rođenja ne nastaju nove živčane stanice, te da je njihov gubitak tijekom života trajan i nenadomjestiv. Nakon spoznaje da u odraslom mozgu nastaju nove živčane stanice, koje se uključuju u djelovanje mozga, otvaraju se novi terapijski pristupi u kojima bi se oštećenje mozga moglo popraviti ugradnjom novih stanica, prvenstveno pripravcima živčanih matičnih stanica. Osim inovativne medicinske primjene, postojanje živčanih matičnih stanica utječe na naše shvaćanje djelovanja mozga, a time i na razumijevanje nas samih. Tradicionalnom stavu o stabilnoj građi mozga koja je posljedica njegove iznimne složenosti, suprotstavljen je novi stav u kojem je građa mozga prilagodljiva novim stanicama, čime bi one mogle ne samo pridonijeti liječenju bolesti mozga, već i utjecati na njegovo sveukupno djelovanje

Developmental Potential of Mouse Embryos without Extraembryonic Membranes in Modified Organ Culture

The long term stationary culture of postimplanatation embryos without extraembryonic membranes is a method to assess their developmental potential in vitro. The method was almost exclusively used on rat embryos, while mouse embryos were considered unsuitable due to their poor differentiation. In present study the postimplantation mouse embryos were used to verify potential of this method in mice. In addition, the course of in vitro differentiation was compared to embryo development in situ. Embryos were cultivated for maximum of 14 days and morphology and differentiation was analysed on serial semithin sections. Although anatomical relationships were lost from the beginning of the cultivation, the differentiation was only delayed, and the developmental potential after long term culture was comparable to those observed in rats. Therefore the advantages of long term cultivation could be utilized to analyse the differentiation of numerous lines of genetically modified mice with impaired postimplantation development

Tissue optical clearing methods for microscopy: A review of their application in neuroscience

Recent advances in microscopy have enabled cellular-resolution imaging of thick tissue samples or even whole organs. The natural opacity of organs and tissues acts as a barrier to light penetration and must be removed to visualise structures of interest on a three-dimensional scale. Tissue optical clearing methods achieve sample transparency while also preserving fluorescently labelled epitopes. This innovative approach to sample preparation effectively enhances traditional histological sections and, with the aid of light sheet microscopy, enables optical sectioning and three-dimensional reconstruction of entire organs, even whole brains. Light sheet microscopy of optically cleared brain samples is a valuable method in neuroscience that is used in neuro-oncology, traumatic brain injury, ischemic brain injury, and neurodegenerative disease research.In this review, we describe tissue optical clearing methods used to achieve optical transparency in brain samples. This quickly developing field has a significant potential for producing cutting-edge uses in neuroscience research

Detection of human papillomaviruses type 16, 18 and 33 in bronchial aspirates of lung carcinoma patients by polymerase chain reaction: a study of 84 cases in Croatia [Određivanje humanog papiloma virusa tipa 16, 18 i 33 u aspiratima bronha pacijenata s karcinomom pluća metodom lančane reakcije polimerazom: istraživanje 84 pacijenta u Hrvatskoj]

Besides its well-known role in cervical carcinoma, HPV is also suggested to be involved in lung cancer development. A number of authors have been investigating the presence of HPV in histological materials. We used routine bronchial aspirates from 84 patients with lung carcinoma for DNA extraction and then performed polymerase chain reaction for high-risk HPV types 16, 18 and 33. The results were compared to those obtained from buccal and eyelid mucosa. Only three patients were positive for HPV in bronchial aspirates: one for HPV 16 type, one for HPV 18 type, and one for HPV 33. Our data indicated the low prevalence of HPV in patients with lung carcinomas in Croatia, therefore it seems unlikely that HPV contributes to the development of lung carcinomas in this region