BayBiosciences.com provides Retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor tissue samples FFPE tissue samples from unique pediatric patients. Moreover, detailed clinical annotations are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research and drug discovery.

Retinoblastoma Overview

Retinoblastoma is the most common children’s eye cancer. Specifically, two types exist: heritable and non-heritable. In particular, the heritable type affects both eyes and produces multiple tumors. Moreover, while the non-heritable type affects one eye and produces one tumor.

Furthermore, the American Cancer Society (ACS) provides the above information. In addition, doctors most frequently see a white pupil — usually the black center of the colored part of the eye — as a symptom.

Moreover, other symptoms involve crooked eyes (strabismus), eye redness and pain, and watery eyes.

In addition, treatment may include interventions that doctors use for other types of cancer, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.

In addition, doctors may use interventions for treatment that include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery for other types of cancer.

What is Retinoblastoma?

Retinoblastoma is a cancer that starts in the retina, the light-sensitive structure in the back of the eye. Consequently, the condition may lead to blindness and can also be life threatening.

Although it is the most frequent type of eye cancer in children, it is rare, accounting for approximately 2 in 100 of all childhood cancers.

Notably, retinoblastoma most commonly affects children younger than age 5, but in rare cases, it can affect older children and adults. Ultimately, it may involve one or both eyes.

Types of Retinoblastoma 

Retinoblastoma may be heritable or non-heritable. Details are below:

Heritable, or Congenital

This type affects 1 in 3 children with retinoblastoma. Specifically, it stems from a mutation of the RB1 gene. Notably, an abnormality in the RB1 gene is congenital, which means a person has it at birth. Furthermore, the abnormal RB1 gene is present in every cell of the body, including those of the retina.

Although this is heritable, most children have no family history of the cancer. Instead, they develop it while in the womb. In fact, only a small percentage of children with this gene inherit it from a parent.

Typically, children with the RB1 gene mutation have retinoblastoma in both eyes, and consequently, they frequently have several eye tumors. Additionally, since the gene mutation is in every cell, they are more likely to develop cancer in other parts of the body.

Non-heritable, or Sporadic

This type affects two out of three children with retinoblastoma. Specifically, the mutated gene is in one cell of one eye, which results in the development of only one tumor in one eye. Moreover, it does not increase cancer risk in other parts of the body.

Symptoms of Retinoblastoma

The most common symptom is a white pupil. Other symptoms include: 

  • Eye redness, pain, or swelling
  • Crossed eyes or one eye that drifts in a different direction
  • Poor vision
  • Teary or watery eyes

Diagnosis of Retinoblastoma

The diagnostic process includes the following:

  • First, medical history: This checks for a family history of retinoblastoma.
  • Next, the physical exam: This looks for signs of illness, such as lumps or anything that appears unusual.
  • In addition, eye exams with a dilated pupil: These tests widen the pupil to permit a view of the inside of the eye, including the retina. Specifically, there are different types:
    • Such as: first, ophthalmoscopy, which uses a magnifying lens and light to view the retina and optic nerve;
    • Ssecond, fluorescent angiography, which shows the blood vessels and flow of blood in the eye;
    • And finally, electroretinography, which involves the use of small electrodes and light to study the retina.
  • Moreover, ultrasound of the eye: This uses high-energy sound waves to make echoes, which create an image.
  • Furthermore, MRI scan of the eye: This uses radio waves, a magnet, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures.
  • Lastly, the RB1 gene test: This is a blood test to check for a change, or mutation, in the RB1 gene.

 

Treatment of Retinoblastoma 

A child with retinoblastoma can receive a cure if, however, a doctor detects the condition before it spreads outside of the eye and starts treatment early. In particular, treatment options include:

Firstly, Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy refers to medications that shrink a tumor. It is the most common intervention and is frequently the first option a doctor tries. Different methods of chemotherapy include:

  • For instance, intravenous: This involves injecting medication into a vein. Although it is often in the arm, it sometimes may come via a device known as a port, which a doctor puts in the chest.
  • Additionally, intra-arterial: This delivers anticancer drugs directly to the eye. In this case, a doctor puts a catheter into an artery that leads to the eye and gives the anticancer drug through the catheter. Furthermore, after giving the drug, a doctor may insert a small balloon into the artery to block it and keep most of the anticancer drug trapped near the tumor.
  • Lastly, intraocular: This denotes injecting medication directly into the eye. Consequently, it is an option when tumor cells are floating inside the eye.

Laser Therapy

Firstly, lasers may heat and kill cancer cells directly. Additionally, they can also destroy the blood vessels in the eye that nourish the tumor.

Cryotherapy

Moreover, another term for cryotherapy is freeze therapy. It involves placing a freezer pen on the eye surface and then freezing and thawing the tumor several times. Consequently, this destroys the tumor and helps prevent cancer cells from spreading outside the eye.

Radiation

In contrast, radiation uses X-rays to kill cancer cells. Specifically, internal radiation entails temporarily implanting a device near the eye tumor, which sends radiation into the tumor cells. On the other hand, external radiation transmits radiation into the body from a machine; however, this is not common for retinoblastoma.

Surgery

Furthermore, in some cases, complete eye removal may be necessary to eliminate the tumor. Accordingly, doctors consider surgery if:

  • Firstly, the tumor may spread beyond the eye.
  • Secondly, the tumor does not respond to other treatments.
  • Lastly, the tumor is too large to save the eye.

Biospecimens

biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Human biospecimens are available including cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors for controls, available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples, human biofluids such as serum samples, plasma samples from various diseases and matched controls.

Also, all our human tissue collections, human biospecimens and human biofluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In fact, this critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Additionally, researchers find the patient’s data associated with the human biospecimens extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, as well as in other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and human biological samples, including fresh frozen human biospecimens cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as human serum, human plasma and human PBMCs.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) and human biofluids from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

Moreover, we can also procure most human biospecimens and human biofluids, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples and human biofluids are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human biofluids such as  human plasma, human serum, and human PBMCs bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human biospecimens from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, Contact us Now.