Studies have shown the possibility of using the part of the foreskin removed after circumcision in the field of scientific and therapeutic research. Donations of tissues and organs are always associated with ethical challenges posed by bioethicists and societies to ensure the appropriate use of these tissues/organs. The purpose of this study was to understand the attitudes and awareness of parents/guardians regarding donation of excised foreskin to research and medical use. The study was based on a questionnaire and included 133 parents/guardians who visited Uhud Children's Hospital in Madinah, Saudi Arabia for newborn male circumcision. The results showed a high willingness (61.7%) to donate the extracted foreskin to research. The willingness to donate the extracted foreskin to research associated with undergraduate degree (P = 0.018), male sex (P = 0.011), high income (P = 0.029), and participation in previous research studies (P = 0.002). About 41.8% were convinced that written informed consent should be obtained before circumcision surgery, 38.1% (n = 51) were convinced that written informed consent should be taken after surgery, while the remaining 19.4% reported that the timing of written informed consent is unimportant. Finally, fear of excision of excess tissue (74.5%), lack of confidence in the research (68.6%), and potential for commercial use (64.7%) were the main barriers to unwillingness to donate the excised foreskin for research. In conclusion, a reasonable portion of Saudis agreed to donate their foreskin for research purposes. There is an urgent need to enhance awareness and attitudes towards tissue donation for research and therapeutic use.

MicroRNAs are important regulators in stem cells, which involve in gene regulation, including cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. As an important one, miR-34c participates in various processes by targeting protein-coding genes. It is generally considered as a tumor suppressor and cell adhesion inhibitor. However, whether miR-34c has effects on pluripotent stem cells is not clear. Here, by mir-34c mimics transfection, the function of miR-34c on porcine induced pluripotent stem cell (piPSC)-like cells was investigated. Bioinformatics analyses showed that c-Myc is miR-34c's candidate target, which was confirmed by dual Luciferase assay. The knockout of miR-34c indicated that mir-34c affects the proliferation and pluripotency of piPSC-like cells by targeting c-Myc. Our study explored the regulatory mechanism of miR-34c on piPSC-like cells, providing a reference for the establishment of true porcine PSCs.