The crucial role of multiomic approach in cancer research and clinically relevant outcomes
AbstractCancer with heavily economic and social burden is the hot point in the field of medical research. Some remarkable achievements have been made; however, the exact mechanisms of tumor initiation and development remain unclear. Cancer is a complex, whole-body disease that involves multiple abnormalities in the levels of DNA, RNA, protein, metabolite and medical imaging. Biological omics including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and radiomics aims to systematically understand carcinogenesis in different biological levels, which is driving the shift of cancer research paradigm from single parameter m...
Source: EPMA Journal - February 21, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Implementation of personalized medicine in Central-Eastern Europe: pitfalls and potentials based on citizen ’s attitude
ConclusionsWe think that given the controversies and complexities of the next-generation sequencing field, the optimal clinical translation of NGS data should be performed in institutions which have the unique capability to provide interprofessional health education, transformative biomedical research, and crucial patient care. With optimization of the clinical translational process, improvement of genetic literacy may increase patient engagement and empowerment.Relevance of the article for predictive, preventive, and personalized medicineThe paper highlights that in countries with relatively low-genetic literacy, a specia...
Source: EPMA Journal - February 9, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Pregnancy-associated breast cancer: the risky status quo and new concepts of predictive medicine
AbstractThe paper is motivated by severe concerns regarding currently applied care of the pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) characterised by particularly poor outcomes of the disease. Psychological and ethical aspects play a crucial role in PABC: the highest priority not to damage the foetus significantly complicates any treatment generally, and it is quite usual that patients disclaim undergoing any breast cancer treatment during pregnancy. Although, due to global demographic trends, PABC is far from appearing rarely now, severe societal and economic consequences of the disease are still neglected by currently app...
Source: EPMA Journal - February 8, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Optical coherence tomography in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: potential advantages for individualized monitoring of progression and therapy
This article summarizes retinal involvement in NMOSD and reviews OCT methods that could be used now and in the future, for differential diagnosis, for monitoring of disease course, and in clinical trials. (Source: EPMA Journal)
Source: EPMA Journal - December 22, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Vitamin D in the prevention, prediction and treatment of neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases
AbstractVitamin D research has gained increased attention in recent times due to its roles beyond bone health and calcium homeostasis, such as immunomodulation. In some parts of the brain and on immune cells, vitamin D hydroxylating enzymes and its receptors are located. Epidemiological evidence demonstrates that deficiency of Vitamin D is relevant for disease risk and course in multiple sclerosis (MS) and presumably also in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), Parkinson ’s disease (PD), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although the exact mechanism underlying vitamin D effects in these diseases remains widely ...
Source: EPMA Journal - November 15, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Incorporation of suboptimal health status as a potential risk assessment for type II diabetes mellitus: a case-control study in a Ghanaian population
AbstractDue to a paradigm shift in lifestyles, there is growing concern that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) will reach epidemic proportions in Ghana. However, specific characteristics of the disease are under explored in this region. More challenging are those yet to be diagnosed or who complain of poor health in the absence of a diagnosed disease —suboptimal health status (SHS). We conducted a study to examine various factors that characterise SHS and T2DM. Using a cross-sectional design, we recruited 264 people as controls and 241 T2DM patients from January to June 2016. The controls were categorised into high and low...
Source: EPMA Journal - October 18, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
High regenerative capacity of the liver and irreversible injury of male reproductive system in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis rat model
ConclusionCarbohydrate tetrachloride induces injury of liver parenchyma evoking fast and severe liver fibrosis, and is associated with irreversible structural and functional changes in testes, reducing fertility, decreasing potential pregnancy rate, and affecting its development. Liver showed high potential to regenerate, however the self-restoring after liver fibrosis was not accompanied with recovery of the reproductive system. (Source: EPMA Journal)
Source: EPMA Journal - October 11, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Comparative study of probiotic effects of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria strains on cholesterol levels, liver morphology and the gut microbiota in obese mice
ConclusionL. casei IMV B-7280 (separately) and a composition ofB. animalis VKL/B. animalis VKB/L. casei IMV B-7280 are effective at decreasing the weight of obese mice, decreasing cholesterol level, restoring the liver morphology and beneficially modulating the gut microbiome in high-calorie-induced obesity. (Source: EPMA Journal)
Source: EPMA Journal - October 10, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Diseases potentially related to Flammer syndrome
AbstractFlammer syndrome (FS) is a prevalent and mostly benign condition. Subjects with FS seem to have a good life expectancy. Nevertheless, FS subjects are at increased risk for certain diseases, mainly when they are challenged by psychological stress or other stimuli such as coldness. FS is related to ocular diseases, such as normal-tension glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, central serous chorioretinopathy, optic nerve compartment syndrome, Leber ’s hereditary optic neuropathy, arterial or venous occlusions in the retina, and choroid and optic nerve head, despite the absence of classical vascular risk factors. FS is als...
Source: EPMA Journal - September 13, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
What California sea lions exposed to domoic acid might teach us about autism: lessons for predictive and preventive medicine
AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) shares many biological and behavioral similarities with the deleterious effects of domoic acid (DA) exposure. DA is produced by marine algae and most commonly by species ofPseudo-nitzschia. Humans and marine mammals can be exposed to DA when they consume whole fish or shellfish. The mammalian fetus is highly sensitive to the deleterious effects of DA exposure. Both ASD and exposures to toxic levels of DA feature repetitive behaviors, challenges with social interaction, and seizures. They can also share a commonality in brain anatomy and function, particularly the balance between excit...
Source: EPMA Journal - September 12, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Pharmacogenomics in the treatment of mood disorders: Strategies and Opportunities for personalized psychiatry
AbstractPersonalized medicine (personalized psychiatry in a specific setting) is a new model towards individualized care, in which knowledge from genomics and other omic pillars (microbiome, epigenomes, proteome, and metabolome) will be combined with clinical data to guide efforts to new drug development and targeted prescription of the existing treatment options. In this review, we summarize pharmacogenomic studies in mood disorders that may lay the foundation towards personalized psychiatry. In addition, we have discussed the possible strategies to integrate data from omic pillars as a future path to personalized psychia...
Source: EPMA Journal - September 5, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Retinal venous pressure measurements in patients with Flammer syndrome and metabolic syndrome
ConclusionsAlthough most patients had a spontaneous RVP, those with FS, POAG, and MetS had increased RVP. Measuring RVP by means of ophthalmodynamometry provides predictive information about certain ocular diseases and aids in instituting adequate preventive measures. (Source: EPMA Journal)
Source: EPMA Journal - September 5, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
The BSSG rat model of Parkinson ’s disease: progressing towards a valid, predictive model of disease
AbstractParkinson ’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, classically considered a movement disorder. A great deal is known about the anatomical connections and neuropathology and pharmacological changes of PD, as they relate to the loss of dopaminergic function and the appearance of cardinal motor symptom s. Our understanding of the role of dopamine in PD has led to the development of effective pharmacological treatments of the motor symptoms in the form of dopamine replacement therapy using levodopa and dopaminergic agonists. Much of the information concerning these drug treatments has been obtained using clas...
Source: EPMA Journal - September 4, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Specific protein biomarker patterns for Alzheimer ’s disease: improved diagnostics in progress
AbstractThis short review looks at Alzheimer ’s disease (AD) diagnosis through my own point of view, going from imaging through cerebrospinal fluid to blood proteins. Over the last couple of years, we have published two papers targeted at Alzheimer’s diagnosis. In one paper, we took an approach of selecting a specific target, namely, activ ity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP), and our results tightened the association of ADNP blood expression with intelligence. In another paper, we took an unbiased approach of analysis of all genes expressed in lymphoblastoid cells lines and discovered changes in expression of ...
Source: EPMA Journal - September 4, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Progressive changes in hippocampal cytoarchitecture in a neurodevelopmental rat model of epilepsy: implications for understanding presymptomatic epileptogenesis, predictive diagnosis, and targeted treatments
AbstractEpilepsies affect about 4% of the population and are frequently characterized by a prolonged “silent” period before the onset of spontaneous seizures. Most current animal models of epilepsy either involve acute seizure induction or kindling protocols that induce repetitive seizures. We have developed a rat model of epilepsy that is characterized by a slowly progressing series of behavio ral abnormalities prior to the onset of behavioral seizures. In the current study, we further describe an accompanying progression of cytoarchitectural changes in the hippocampal formation. Groups of male and female SD rats rece...
Source: EPMA Journal - August 29, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
