#human tissue

Acker speaks about her research into the HEK-293 cell line specifically, and talks about the number that’s at the end of that cell line name. “HEK” stands for Human Embryonic Kidney and the “293” actually reveals the number of experiments that a specific researcher did to develop that cell line.  

“It doesn’t mean there were two hundred and ninety-three abortions, but for two hundred and ninety-three experiments, you would certainly need far more than one abortion. We’re talking probably hundreds of abortions,” Acker shares. (...)

Acker dispels the myth that these cell lines are created using spontaneous abortions, simply by understanding that these cells have to be gathered within five minutes of the abortion. A miscarriage would simply not provide cells that were alive enough for researchers to be able to use the cells.  

This is where things get very disturbing, because in most cases it’s not a “simple abortion,” but rather, Acker says:  

“They will actually deliver these babies via cesarean section. The babies are still alive when the researchers start extracting the tissue; to the point where their heart is still beating, and they’re generally not given any anesthetic, because that would disrupt the cells that the researchers are trying to extract.

The future is here. In a world first, Israeli scientists have created a live heart in a revolutionary new 3D printing process that combines human tissue taken from a patient.

In November, Tel Aviv University researchers said they invented the first fully personalized tissue implant engineered from a patient’s own biomaterials and cells, paving the way for new technology that would make it possible to develop any kind of tissue implant from one small fatty tissue biopsy.

Medical breakthroughs rely on more than advanced technology—they depend on access to high-quality human tissues that accurately represent human biology. From understanding disease mechanisms to validating new therapies, the use of human tissues for research has become a cornerstone of modern biomedical science.

Researchers across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic institutions use ethically sourced human tissue samples to develop safer drugs, discover biomarkers, and advance personalized medicine. Working with a trusted human tissue provider ensures that these biospecimens are collected, processed, and distributed according to strict ethical and regulatory standards, enabling reliable and reproducible research outcomes.

What Are Human Tissues Used in Research?

Human tissues are biological samples collected from donors for scientific and medical research. They can include:

Normal and diseased tissues

Fresh and frozen tissue samples

Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissues

Matched normal and tumor tissues

Surgical excess specimens

Biopsy samples

These tissues provide researchers with clinically relevant models that better reflect human physiology than many traditional laboratory models.

Why Human Tissue Research Is Important

Human tissue research bridges the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical applications. Since tissues retain the molecular and cellular characteristics of patients, they offer valuable insights into disease progression and treatment response.

Some of the major benefits include:

Improved Drug Discovery

Researchers evaluate how potential drug candidates interact with human cells before clinical trials, reducing development risks and improving candidate selection.

Biomarker Identification

Human tissues help identify biomarkers that support early disease detection, patient stratification, and treatment monitoring.

Precision Medicine

By studying tissues from different patient populations, scientists can develop therapies tailored to specific genetic and molecular profiles.

Disease Mechanism Studies

Researchers investigate how diseases develop at the cellular level, leading to a better understanding of conditions such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, neurological diseases, and metabolic disorders.

Applications Across Therapeutic Areas

Human tissue samples support research in numerous medical fields, including:

Oncology

Immunology

Neurology

Cardiovascular diseases

Infectious diseases

Rare diseases

Metabolic disorders

Inflammatory conditions

Dermatology

Regenerative medicine

Each therapeutic area requires well-characterized biospecimens with comprehensive clinical information to generate meaningful research data.

Types of Human Tissue Samples

Different studies require different biospecimen types depending on research objectives.

Fresh Tissue

Fresh tissue is processed immediately after collection and is ideal for cell isolation, single-cell sequencing, and functional assays.

Frozen Tissue

Cryopreserved tissues preserve DNA, RNA, and protein integrity, making them suitable for molecular biology and genomic research.

FFPE Tissue

FFPE samples are widely used in pathology, histology, biomarker validation, and retrospective clinical studies because they can be stored for extended periods.

Matched Normal and Diseased Tissue

These paired samples allow researchers to compare healthy and diseased tissues from the same individual, improving experimental accuracy.

Ethical Considerations

The use of human tissues in research requires strict adherence to ethical guidelines. Samples should only be collected after informed donor consent and handled according to applicable regulatory requirements.

Ethical tissue procurement includes:

Informed consent from donors

Institutional ethics committee approval

Complete donor privacy protection

Sample traceability

Regulatory compliance

Quality-controlled processing and storage

Following these practices ensures that research remains responsible while protecting donor rights.

The Role of Quality in Research Success

The quality of a biospecimen directly impacts research reliability. Poorly preserved or improperly documented samples can lead to inconsistent results and delayed projects.

Researchers should evaluate several quality factors, including:

Tissue viability

Processing time

Preservation method

Clinical annotations

Pathology confirmation

Storage conditions

Documentation and chain of custody

Access to well-characterized biospecimens improves reproducibility and strengthens confidence in research findings.

Choosing the Right Human Tissue Provider

Selecting the right human tissue provider is essential for obtaining high-quality biospecimens that meet both scientific and regulatory requirements. An experienced provider offers access to diverse tissue collections, standardized processing protocols, detailed clinical data, and comprehensive quality assurance measures. Reliable providers also maintain strong clinical networks and ensure ethical sourcing practices that support reproducible research and successful drug development.

Looking Ahead

As precision medicine and targeted therapies continue to evolve, the demand for high-quality human tissues will only increase. Researchers require biospecimens that accurately represent patient populations while meeting the highest standards of quality, ethics, and traceability.

Bay Biosciences, therefore, specializes in providing human tissue samples, including fresh frozen tissue samples and formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue samples. Specifically, we collect and provide human tissue samples from most diseases, including some of the rare conditions. Moreover, we maintain our own repository with thousands of fresh frozen tissue samples and millions of FFPE tissue samples.

Microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) are a type of cell that line the inner walls of the smallest blood vessels, known as microvessels. They play a critical role in regulating blood flow and maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. In recent years, the study of MVECs has become increasingly important in the field of biomedical research, particularly in the areas of cancer and cardiovascular disease. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to MVEC culture, including the techniques for harvesting and growing MVECs in vitro, as well as their applications in research and clinical settings.

Harvesting MVECs

MVECs can be harvested from a variety of sources, including human tissue samples and animal models. One of the most common techniques for harvesting MVECs is called microvessel isolation, which involves collecting small blood vessels from a tissue sample and isolating the Microvascular Endothelial Cells MVECs. This can be done using a variety of techniques, including enzymatic digestion and mechanical separation.

Culture of MVECs

Once harvested, MVECs can be grown in vitro in specialized cell culture media. MVEC culture media are designed to mimic the in vivo conditions that MVECs would normally experience, including appropriate levels of oxygen, nutrients, and growth factors.

One of the key factors in successful MVEC culture is maintaining the cells' phenotype, or the characteristic traits and behaviors of the cells. MVECs are prone to undergoing phenotypic changes when grown in vitro, which can impact their function and usefulness for research purposes. To prevent this, MVECs are often grown on specialized surfaces, such as extracellular matrix (ECM) coatings, or in specialized cell culture media that provide the appropriate signals to maintain the MVEC phenotype.

Applications of MVEC Culture

The study of MVECs has important applications in several areas of biomedical research, including:

Cancer: MVECs play a critical role in tumor angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels that support tumor growth. By studying MVECs in vitro, researchers can gain insight into the mechanisms of tumor angiogenesis and develop new strategies for inhibiting it.

Cardiovascular disease: MVECs play a critical role in regulating blood flow and maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. By studying MVECs in vitro, researchers can gain insight into the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and develop new strategies for treating it.

Drug discovery and toxicity testing: MVECs are often used as a model for testing the safety and efficacy of new drugs, as they are involved in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of many drugs. By studying MVECs in vitro, researchers can gain insight into the potential side effects and toxicity of new drugs and optimize their formulation and delivery.

Additionally, MVECs have also been used to study the effects of various environmental factors on the microvasculature. For instance, exposure to oxidative stress, radiation, or hypoxia (low oxygen levels) can all have significant effects on MVEC function and survival. In vitro studies using MVEC cultures can help to understand the underlying mechanisms of these effects and provide a platform for developing new strategies to mitigate or prevent their harmful effects.

In vitro MVEC culture has also been utilized in the development of engineered blood vessels for transplantation. MVECs can be used to grow functional microvessels in vitro, which can then be implanted into patients to treat conditions such as peripheral artery disease, which results in a reduction in blood flow to the legs. This new field of regenerative medicine holds tremendous promise for improving the quality of life for patients suffering from a variety of vascular diseases.

Despite the many applications of MVEC culture, there are also some limitations that need to be addressed. One of the key limitations is the difficulty in maintaining MVEC phenotype in vitro, as MVECs can undergo phenotypic changes that impact their function and usefulness for research purposes. Additionally, MVECs can be difficult to harvest and cultivate in vitro, which can limit the availability of MVEC cultures for research.

Conclusion

MVEC culture is a critical tool in the study of microvascular biology and has important applications in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and drug discovery. By cultivating MVECs in vitro, researchers can gain insight into the behavior and functions of these cells and develop new strategies for understanding and treating disease.

Bio-Printing Human Skin, Organs Coming Soon

Some call it an exciting new application of 3-D printing.  But scientists are making significant headway in the new field of Bio-Printing. Medical researchers say they will soon be able to print body organs, layer by layer, using printers and scanners. So how’s it work? Bio-printing unites a complex matrix of living tissues and cells […]

Engineering Magnetics to Grow Human Tissue

Tissue engineering is still a relatively new field in regenerative medicine but an important one. It’s working to restore or substitute damaged or lost tissue in the human body.

Although the research field is only 25 years old, which is nothing in terms of the lifetime of engineering innovations, major breakthroughs in tissue engineering are paving the path to innovative medical treatments.