Prostate cancer management: long-term beliefs, epidemic developments in the early twenty-first century and 3PM dimensional solutions

Pharmacoproteomics reveals energy metabolism pathways as therapeutic targets of ivermectin in ovarian cancer toward 3P medical approaches

Objective

Ovarian cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest mortality rate in the female reproductive system, enormous socio-economic burden, and limited effective drug therapy. There is an urgent need to find novel effective drugs for ovarian cancer therapy. Our previous in vitro studies demonstrate that ivermectin effectively inhibits ovarian cancer cells and affects energy metabolism pathways. This study aims to clarify in vivo mechanisms and therapeutic targets of ivermectin in the treatment of ovarian cancer to establish predictive biomarkers, guide personalized treatments, and improve preventive strategies in the framework of 3P medicine.

Methods

A TOV-21G tumor-bearing mouse model was constructed based on histopathological data and biochemical parameters. TMT-based proteomic analysis was performed on tumor tissues from the different treatment groups. All significantly differentially abundant proteins were characterized by hierarchical clustering, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. In addition, the data were integrated and analyzed with the proteomic data of clinical ovarian cancer tissues from our previous study and the proteomic data of ivermectin intervention in ovarian cancer cells to identify key regulators of ivermectin.

Results

Ivermectin (10 mg/kg) had a significant anti-ovarian cancer effect in mice, with a tumor inhibitory rate of 61.5%. Molecular changes in tumor tissue of ivermectin-treated mice were established, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis showed that the main differential pathway networks included the TCA cycle, propanoate metabolism, 2-0xocarboxyacid metabolism, and other pathways. Integrating our previous clinical ovarian cancer tissue and cell experimental data, this study found that ivermectin significantly interfered with the energy metabolic pathways of ovarian cancer, including glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, and other related pathways.

Conclusions

This study evaluated the anti-ovarian cancer effect in vitro and in vivo, and its specific regulatory effect on energy metabolism. The expressions of drug target molecules in the energy metabolism pathway of ovarian cancer will be used to guide the diagnosis and prevention of ovarian cancer. The significant efficacy of ivermectin will be applied to the treatment of ovarian cancer and personalized medication. This has guiding significance for the clinical diagnosis, treatment, personalized medication, and prognosis evaluation of ovarian cancer.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-024-00385-1.

Guidelines for genetic testing in prostate cancer: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Genetic testing, to identify pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in prostate cancer, is valuable in guiding treatment decisions for men with prostate cancer and to inform cancer prevention and early detection options for their immediate blood relatives. There are various guidelines and consensus statements for genetic testing in prostate cancer. Our aim is to review genetic testing recommendations across current guidelines and consensus statements and the level of evidence supporting those recommendations.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Electronic database searches and manual searches of grey literature, including websites of key organisations were conducted. Using the Population, Concept, Context (PCC) framework, this scoping review included: men with prostate cancer or men at high risk of prostate cancer and their biological families; existing guidelines and consensus statements with supporting evidence for genetic testing of men with prostate cancer from any geographical location worldwide.

RESULTS

Of the 660 citations identified, 23 guidelines and consensus statements met the inclusion criteria for the scoping review. Based on different levels of evidence about who should be tested and how, a diverse range of recommendations were identified. There was general consensus among the guidelines and consensus statements that men with metastatic disease be offered genetic testing; however, there was less consensus in relation to genetic testing in localised prostate cancer. While there was some consensus in relation to which genes to test, recommendations varied regarding who to test, testing methods and implementation.

CONCLUSION

While genetic testing in prostate cancer is routinely recommended and numerous guidelines exist, there is still considerable lack of consensus regarding who should be tested and how they should be tested. Further evidence is needed to inform value-based genetic testing strategies for implementation in practice.

Exploring the interaction between immune cells in the prostate cancer microenvironment combining weighted correlation gene network analysis and single-cell sequencing: An integrated bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND

The rise of treatment resistance and variability across malignant profiles has made precision oncology an imperative in today's medical landscape. Prostate cancer is a prevalent form of cancer in males, characterized by significant diversity in both genomic and clinical characteristics. The tumor microenvironment consists of stroma, tumor cells, and various immune cells. The stromal components and tumor cells engage in mutual communication and facilitate the development of a low-oxygen and pro-cancer milieu by producing cytokines and activating pro-inflammatory signaling pathways.

METHODS

In order to discover new genes associated with tumor cells that interact and facilitate a hypoxic environment in prostate cancer, we conducted a cutting-edge bioinformatics investigation. This included analyzing high-throughput genomic datasets obtained from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA).

RESULTS

A combination of weighted gene co-expression network analysis and single-cell sequencing has identified nine dysregulated immune hub genes (AMACR, KCNN3, MME, EGFR, FLT1, GDF15, KDR, IGF1, and KRT7) that are believed to have significant involvement in the biological pathways involved with the advancement of prostate cancer enviriment. In the prostate cancer environment, we observed the overexpression of GDF15 and KRT7 genes, as well as the downregulation of other genes. Additionally, the cBioPortal platform was used to investigate the frequency of alterations in the genes and their effects on the survival of the patients. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that the changes in the candidate genes were associated with a reduction in the overall survival of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, the findings indicate that studying the genes and their genomic changes may be used to develop precise treatments for prostate cancer. This approach involves early detection and targeted therapy.

Artificial intelligence in ovarian cancer drug resistance advanced 3PM approach: subtype classification and prognostic modeling

Background

Ovarian cancer patients' resistance to first-line treatment posed a significant challenge, with approximately 70% experiencing recurrence and developing strong resistance to first-line chemotherapies like paclitaxel.

Objectives

Within the framework of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (3PM), this study aimed to use artificial intelligence to find drug resistance characteristics at the single cell, and further construct the classification strategy and deep learning prognostic models based on these resistance traits, which can better facilitate and perform 3PM.

Methods

This study employed "Beyondcell," an algorithm capable of predicting cellular drug responses, to calculate the similarity between the expression patterns of 21,937 cells from ovarian cancer samples and the signatures of 5201 drugs to identify drug-resistance cells. Drug resistance features were used to perform 10 multi-omics clustering on the TCGA training set to identify patient subgroups with differential drug responses. Concurrently, a deep learning prognostic model with KAN architecture which had a flexible activation function to better fit the model was constructed for this training set. The constructed patient subtype classifier and prognostic model were evaluated using three external validation sets from GEO: GSE17260, GSE26712, and GSE51088.

Results

This study identified that endothelial cells are resistant to paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and docetaxel, suggesting their potential as targets for cellular therapy in ovarian cancer patients. Based on drug resistance features, 10 multi-omics clustering identified four patient subtypes with differential responses to four chemotherapy drugs, in which subtype CS2 showed the highest drug sensitivity to all four drugs. The other subtypes also showed enrichment in different biological pathways and immune infiltration, allowing for targeted treatment based on their characteristics. Besides, this study applied the latest KAN architecture in artificial intelligence to replace the MLP structure in the DeepSurv prognostic model, finally demonstrating robust performance on patients' prognosis prediction.

Conclusions

This study, by classifying patients and constructing prognostic models based on resistance characteristics to first-line drugs, has effectively applied multi-omics data into the realm of 3PM.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-024-00374-4.

Digital biomarkers: 3PM approach revolutionizing chronic disease management - EPMA 2024 position

Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) have become a major global health concern. They constitute the leading cause of disabilities, increased morbidity, mortality, and socio-economic disasters worldwide. Medical condition-specific digital biomarker (DB) panels have emerged as valuable tools to manage NCDs. DBs refer to the measurable and quantifiable physiological, behavioral, and environmental parameters collected for an individual through innovative digital health technologies, including wearables, smart devices, and medical sensors. By leveraging digital technologies, healthcare providers can gather real-time data and insights, enabling them to deliver more proactive and tailored interventions to individuals at risk and patients diagnosed with NCDs. Continuous monitoring of relevant health parameters through wearable devices or smartphone applications allows patients and clinicians to track the progression of NCDs in real time. With the introduction of digital biomarker monitoring (DBM), a new quality of primary and secondary healthcare is being offered with promising opportunities for health risk assessment and protection against health-to-disease transitions in vulnerable sub-populations. DBM enables healthcare providers to take the most cost-effective targeted preventive measures, to detect disease developments early, and to introduce personalized interventions. Consequently, they benefit the quality of life (QoL) of affected individuals, healthcare economy, and society at large. DBM is instrumental for the paradigm shift from reactive medical services to 3PM approach promoted by the European Association for Predictive, Preventive, and Personalized Medicine (EPMA) involving 3PM experts from 55 countries worldwide. This position manuscript consolidates multi-professional expertise in the area, demonstrating clinically relevant examples and providing the roadmap for implementing 3PM concepts facilitated through DBs.

Energy metabolism as the hub of advanced non-small cell lung cancer management: a comprehensive view in the framework of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine

Energy metabolism is a hub of governing all processes at cellular and organismal levels such as, on one hand, reparable vs. irreparable cell damage, cell fate (proliferation, survival, apoptosis, malignant transformation etc.), and, on the other hand, carcinogenesis, tumor development, progression and metastazing versus anti-cancer protection and cure. The orchestrator is the mitochondria who produce, store and invest energy, conduct intracellular and systemically relevant signals decisive for internal and environmental stress adaptation, and coordinate corresponding processes at cellular and organismal levels. Consequently, the quality of mitochondrial health and homeostasis is a reliable target for health risk assessment at the stage of reversible damage to the health followed by cost-effective personalized protection against health-to-disease transition as well as for targeted protection against the disease progression (secondary care of cancer patients against growing primary tumors and metastatic disease). The energy reprogramming of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) attracts particular attention as clinically relevant and instrumental for the paradigm change from reactive medical services to predictive, preventive and personalized medicine (3PM). This article provides a detailed overview towards mechanisms and biological pathways involving metabolic reprogramming (MR) with respect to inhibiting the synthesis of biomolecules and blocking common NSCLC metabolic pathways as anti-NSCLC therapeutic strategies. For instance, mitophagy recycles macromolecules to yield mitochondrial substrates for energy homeostasis and nucleotide synthesis. Histone modification and DNA methylation can predict the onset of diseases, and plasma C7 analysis is an efficient medical service potentially resulting in an optimized healthcare economy in corresponding areas. The MEMP scoring provides the guidance for immunotherapy, prognostic assessment, and anti-cancer drug development. Metabolite sensing mechanisms of nutrients and their derivatives are potential MR-related therapy in NSCLC. Moreover, miR-495-3p reprogramming of sphingolipid rheostat by targeting Sphk1, 22/FOXM1 axis regulation, and A2 receptor antagonist are highly promising therapy strategies. TFEB as a biomarker in predicting immune checkpoint blockade and redox-related lncRNA prognostic signature (redox-LPS) are considered reliable predictive approaches. Finally, exemplified in this article metabolic phenotyping is instrumental for innovative population screening, health risk assessment, predictive multi-level diagnostics, targeted prevention, and treatment algorithms tailored to personalized patient profiles-all are essential pillars in the paradigm change from reactive medical services to 3PM approach in overall management of lung cancers. This article highlights the 3PM relevant innovation focused on energy metabolism as the hub to advance NSCLC management benefiting vulnerable subpopulations, affected patients, and healthcare at large.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-024-00357-5.

Mediterranean diet in the targeted prevention and personalized treatment of chronic diseases: evidence, potential mechanisms, and prospects

The prevalence of chronic diseases is currently a major public health issue worldwide and is exploding with the population growth and aging. Dietary patterns are well known to play a important role in our overall health and well-being, and therefore, poor diet and malnutrition are among the most critical risk factors for chronic disease. Thus, dietary recommendation and nutritional supplementation have significant clinical implications for the targeted treatment of some of these diseases. Multiple dietary patterns have been proposed to prevent chronic disease incidence, like Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and Diabetes Risk Reduction Diet (DRRD). Among them, the MedDiet, which is one of the most well-known and studied dietary patterns in the world, has been related to a wide extent of health benefits. Substantial evidence has supported an important reverse association between higher compliance to MedDiet and the risk of chronic disease. Innovative strategies within the healthcare framework of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM/3PM) view personalized dietary customization as a predictive medical approach, cost-effective preventive measures, and the optimal dietary treatment tailored to the characteristics of patients with chronic diseases in primary and secondary care. Through a comprehensive collection and review of available evidence, this review summarizes health benefits of MedDiet in the context of PPPM/3PM for chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, and cancer, thereby a working hypothesis that MedDiet can personalize the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases was derived.

Quercetin, a natural flavonoid, protects against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury via inhibiting Caspase-8/ASC dependent macrophage pyroptosis

INTRODUCTION

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is an inevitable adverse event following liver surgery, leading to liver damage and potential organ failure. Despite advancements, effective interventions for hepatic IRI remain elusive, posing a significant clinical challenge. The innate immune response significantly contributes to the pathogenesis of hepatic IRI by promoting an inflammatory cytotoxic cycle. We have reported that blocking GSDMD-induced pyroptosis in innate immunity cells protected hepatic IRI from inflammatory injury. However, the search for effective pyroptosis inhibitors continues.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to evaluate whether quercetin, a natural flavonoid, can inhibit GSDMD-induced pyroptosis and mitigate hepatic IRI.

METHODS

We established the hepatic IRI murine model and cellular pyroptosis model to evaluate the efficacy of quercetin.

RESULTS

Quercetin effectively alleviated hepatic IRI-induced tissue necrosis and inflammation. We found that during hepatic IRI, the cleavage of GSDMD occurred in hepatic macrophages, but not in other non-parenchymal cells. Quercetin inhibited the cleavage of GSDMD in macrophages. Moreover, we found that quercetin blocked the ASC assembly to inhibit the formation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and AIM2 inflammasomes, suppressing macrophage pyroptosis. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that quercetin inhibited the interaction between ASC and Caspase-8, which is the mechanism of ASC complex and inflammasome formation. Overexpression of Caspase-8 abolished the anti-pyroptosis effect of quercetin in NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome signaling. Furthermore, we found that the hepatoprotective activity of quercetin was reduced in myelocytic GSDMD-deficient mice.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that quercetin has beneficial effects on hepatic IRI. Quercetin could attenuate hepatic IRI and target inhibition of macrophage pyroptosis via blocking Caspase-8/ASC interaction. We recommend that quercetin might serve as a targeted approach for the prevention and personalized treatment of hepatic IRI in perioperative patients.

Frailty mediating the causality between leucocyte telomere length and mortality: a cohort study of 440,551 UK Biobank participants

Introduction

Previous studies reported leucocyte telomere length (LTL) and frailty were associated with mortality, but it remains unclear whether frailty serves as a mediator in the relationship between leucocyte telomere length and mortality risk. This study aimed to evaluate how measuring LTL and frailty can support early monitoring and prevention of risk of mortality from the prospective of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM/3PM).

Methods

We included 440,551 participants from the UK Biobank between the baseline visit (2006-2010) and November 30, 2022. The time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model was conducted to assess the association between LTL and frailty index with the risk of mortality. Furthermore, we conducted causal mediation analyses to examine the extent to which frailty mediated the association between LTL and mortality.

Results

During a median follow-up of 13.74 years, each SD increase in LTL significantly decreased the risk of all-cause [hazard ratio (HR): 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.93-0.95] and CVD-specific mortality (HR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.90-0.95). The SD increase in FI elevated the risk of all-cause (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.34-1.36), CVD-specific (HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.44-1.50), and cancer-specific mortality (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.20-1.24). Frailty mediated approximately 10% of the association between LTL and all-cause and CVD-specific mortality.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that frailty mediates the effect of LTL on all-cause and CVD-specific mortality. There findings might be valuable to predict, prevent, and reduce mortality through primary prevention and healthcare in context of PPPM.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-024-00355-7.

Targeting benign prostate hyperplasia treatments: AR/TGF-β/NOX4 inhibition by apocynin suppresses inflammation and proliferation

INTRODUCTION

Apocynin (Apo), an NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor, has been widely used to treat various inflammatory diseases. However, the therapeutic effects of Apo on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a multifactorial disease associated with chronic inflammation and hormone imbalance, remain unknown.

OBJECTIVES

The link between androgen signaling, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and prostate cell proliferation may contribute to the pathogenesis of BPH; therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the specific signaling pathway involved and to demonstrate whether the anti-oxidant Apo plays a role in the prevention and treatment of BPH.

METHODS

Ingenuity pathway analysis and si-RNA transfection were conducted to demonstrate the androgen receptor (AR) and NOX4 linkage in BPH. Pathological markers of BPH were measured by H&E staining, immunoblotting, ELISA, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence to examine the effect of Apo. Rats stimulated with testosterone and BPH-1 cells were used as BPH models.

RESULTS

AR and NOX4 network-mediated oxidative stress was upregulated in the BPH model. Next, we examined the effects of Apo on oxidative stress and chronic prostatic inflammation in BPH mouse models. In a testosterone-induced BPH rat model, Apo alleviated pathological prostate enlargement and suppressed androgen/AR signaling. Apo suppressed the upregulation of proinflammatory markers and promoted the expression of anti-oxidant factors. Furthermore, Apo regulated the TGF-β/Glut9/activin pathway and macrophage programming. In BPH-1 cells, Apo suppressed AR-mediated proliferation and upregulation of TGFB and NOX4 expression by alleviating oxidative stress. Apo activated anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory systems and regulated macrophage polarization in BPH-1 cells. AR knockdown partially abolished the beneficial effects of Apo in prostate cells, indicating AR-dependent effects of Apo.

CONCLUSION

In contrast with existing BPH therapies, Apo may provide a new application for prostatic disease treatment, especially for BPH, by targeting the AR/TGF-β/NOX4 signaling pathway.

Impact of Prostate Cancer in Eastern Europe and Approaches to Treatment and Policy

Prostate cancer is among the most prevalent cancer globally and within Eastern Europe, where there are also higher levels of mortality compared with Western Europe. Cancer control plans exist in most countries in the region. Attention should be given to devising and implementing optimal screening initiatives. Our review has identified that a lack of resources and health system dysfunctions hamper progress in ameliorating the burden of prostate cancer. Regional cooperation is needed as well as drawing on guidelines and findings from elsewhere. Health institutions must also know the latest developments and set up systems that allow swift adoption.

CVD phenotyping in oncologic disorders: cardio-miRNAs as a potential target to improve individual outcomes in revers cardio-oncology

With the increase of aging population and prevalence of obesity, the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer has also presented an increasing tendency. These two different diseases, which share some common risk factors. Relevant studies in the field of reversing Cardio-Oncology have shown that the phenotype of CVD has a significant adverse effect on tumor prognosis, which is mainly manifested by a positive correlation between CVD and malignant progression of concomitant tumors. This distal crosstalk and the link between different diseases makes us aware of the importance of diagnosis, prediction, management and personalized treatment of systemic diseases. The circulatory system bridges the interaction between CVD and cancer, which suggests that we need to fully consider the systemic and holistic characteristics of these two diseases in the process of clinical treatment. The circulating exosome-miRNAs has been intrinsically associated with CVD -related regulation, which has become one of the focuses on clinical and basic research (as biomarker). The changes in the expression profiles of cardiovascular disease-associated miRNAs (Cardio-miRNAs) may adversely affect concomitant tumors. In this article, we sorted and screened CVD and tumor-related miRNA data based on literature, then summarized their commonalities and characteristics (several important pathways), and further discussed the conclusions of Cardio-Oncology related experimental studies. We take a holistic approach to considering CVD as a risk factor for tumor malignancy, which provides an in-depth analysis of the various regulatory mechanisms or pathways involved in the dual attribute miRNAs (Cardio-/Onco-miRNAs). These mechanisms will be key to revealing the systemic effects of CVD on tumors and highlight the holistic nature of different diseases. Therefore, the Cardio-miRNAs should be given great attention from researchers in the field of CVD and tumors, which might become new targets for tumor treatment. Meanwhile, based on the principles of precision medicine (such as the predictive preventive personalized medicine, 3PM) and reverse Cardio-oncology to better improve individual outcomes, we should consider developing personalized medicine and systemic therapy for cancer from the perspective of protecting cardiovascular function.

Characterizing the real-world economic burden of metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer in the United States

AIMS

To describe healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs of patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC).

METHODS

Linked data from Flatiron Metastatic PC Core Registry and Komodo's Healthcare Map were evaluated (01/2016-12/2021). Patients with chart-confirmed diagnoses for metastatic PC without confirmed castration resistance in Flatiron who initiated androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) monotherapy or advanced therapy for mCSPC in 2017 or later (index date) with a corresponding pharmacy or medical claim in Komodo Health were included. Advanced therapies considered were androgen-receptor signaling inhibitors, chemotherapies, estrogens, immunotherapies, poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, and radiopharmaceuticals. Patients with <12 months of continuous insurance eligibility before index were excluded. Per-patient-per-month (PPPM) all-cause and PC-related HRU and costs (medical and pharmacy; from a payer's perspective in 2022 $USD) were described in the 12-month baseline period and follow-up period (from the index date to castration resistance, end of continuous insurance eligibility, end of data availability, or death).

RESULTS

Of 871 patients included (mean age: 70.6 years), 52% initiated ADT monotherapy as their index treatment without documented advanced therapy use. During baseline, 31% of patients had a PC-related inpatient admission and 94% had a PC-related outpatient visit; mean all-cause costs were $2551 PPPM and PC-related costs were $839 PPPM with $787 PPPM attributable to medical costs. Patients had a mean follow-up of 15 months, during which 38% had a PC-related inpatient admission and 98% had a PC-related outpatient visit; mean all-cause costs were $5950 PPPM with PC-related total costs of $4363 PPPM, including medical costs of $2012 PPPM.

LIMITATIONS

All analyses were descriptive; statistical testing was not performed. Treatment effectiveness and clinical outcomes were not assessed.

CONCLUSION

This real-world study demonstrated a significant economic burden in mCSPC patients, and a propensity to use ADT monotherapy in clinical practice despite the availability and guideline recommendations of advanced life-prolonging therapies.

Gene methylation status in focus of advanced prostate cancer diagnostics and improved individual outcomes

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent type of male genitourinary tumor, remains the second leading cause of deaths due to cancer in the United States in men. The aim of this study was to perform an integrative epigenetic analysis to explore the epigenetic abnormalities involved in the development and progression of PCa, and present advanced diagnostics and improved individual outcomes.

Methods

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed and a diagnostic model was constructed. For validation, we employed profiles from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and methylation data derived from clinical samples. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) were employed for GSEA and to assess immune cell infiltration, respectively.

Results

An accurate diagnostic method for PCa was established based on the methylation level of Cyclin-D2 (CCND2) and glutathione S-transferase pi-1 (GSTP1), with an impressive area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.937. The model's reliability was further confirmed through validation using four GEO datasets GSE76938 (AUC =0.930), GSE26126 (AUC =0.906), GSE112047 (AUC =1.000), GSE84749 (AUC =0.938) and clinical samples (AUC =0.980). Notably, the TIMER analysis indicated that hypermethylation of CCND2 and GSTP1 was associated with reduced immune cell infiltration, higher tumor purity, and an increased risk of tumor progression.

Conclusions

In conclusion, our study provides a robust and reliable methylation-based diagnostic model for PCa. This model holds promise as an improved approach for screening and diagnosing PCa, potentially enhancing early detection and patient outcomes, as well as for an advanced clinical management for PCa in the framework of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine.

Adherence to Healthy or Unhealthy Pro-Vegetarian Plant-Based Diets Have Different Impact on Prostate Cancer Severity: Preliminary Findings

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a prevalent malignancy affecting men worldwide, and plant-based diets have been widely advocated for their health benefits. The aim of this study was to test the association between general, healthy, and unhealthy pro-vegetarian plant-based diets and PCa severity on 118 consecutive patients undergoing prostatectomy in a university hospital in Italy. Food frequency questionnaires were used to calculate scores for dietary patterns. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to test the associations. A general plant-based diet was not associated with cancer severity, while patients reporting a higher adherence to a healthy plant-based diet were less likely to have a more severe PCa (for medium/high vs. low-risk PCa, OR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.88; for high vs. medium/low-risk PCa, OR = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.39). Patients resulting in higher adherence to an unhealthy plant-based diet were more likely to be diagnosed with more severe PCa (OR = 6.15, 95% CI: 1.70, 22.24). In conclusion, plant-based dietary patterns may have a different impact on PCa severity depending on the quality of the foods included.

IQGAP3 is relevant to prostate cancer: A detailed presentation of potential pathomechanisms

INTRODUCTION

IQGAP3 possesses oncogenic actions; its impact on prostate cancer (PC) remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

We will investigate IQGAP3's association with PC progression, key mechanisms, prognosis, and immune evasion.

METHODS

IQGAP3 expression in PC was examined by immunohistochemistry and using multiple datasets. IQGAP3 network was analyzed for pathway alterations and used to construct a multigene signature (SigIQGAP3NW). SigIQGAP3NW was characterized using LNCaP cell-derived castration-resistant PCs (CRPCs), analyzed for prognostic value in 26 human cancer types, and studied for association with immune evasion.

RESULTS

Increases in IQGAP3 expression associated with PC tumorigenesis, tumor grade, metastasis, and p53 mutation. IQGAP3 correlative genes were dominantly involved in mitosis. IQGAP3 correlated with PLK1 and TOP2A expression at Spearman correlation/R = 0.89 (p ≤ 3.069e-169). Both correlations were enriched in advanced PCs and Taxane-treated CRPCs and occurred at high levels (R > 0.8) in multiple cancer types. SigIQGAP3NW effectively predicted cancer recurrence and poor prognosis in independent PC cohorts and across 26 cancer types. SigIQGAP3NW stratified PC recurrence after adjustment for age at diagnosis, grade, stage, and surgical margin. SigIQGAP3NW component genes were upregulated in PC, metastasis, LNCaP cell-produced CRPC, and showed an association with p53 mutation. SigIQGAP3NW correlated with immune cell infiltration, including Treg in PC and other cancers. RELT, a SigIQGAP3NW component gene, was associated with elevations of multiple immune checkpoints and the infiltration of Treg and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in PC and across cancer types. RELT and SigIQGAP3NW predict response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

In multiple cancers, IQGAP3 robustly correlates with PLK1 and TOP2A expression, and SigIQGAP3NW and/or RELT effectively predict mortality risk and/or resistance to ICB therapy. PLK1 and TOP2A inhibitors should be investigated for treating cancers with elevated IQGAP3 expression. SigIQGAP3NW and/or RELT can be developed for clinical applications in risk stratification and management of ICB therapy.

Evaluating endocrine disrupting chemicals: A perspective on the novel assessments in CLARITY-BPA

BACKGROUND

The Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on Bisphenol A Toxicity (CLARITY-BPA) was a collaborative research effort to better link academic research with governmental guideline studies. This review explores the secondary goal of CLARITY-BPA: to identify endpoints or technologies from CLARITY-BPA and prior/concurrent literature from these laboratories that may enhance the capacity of rodent toxicity studies to detect endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted with search terms for BPA and the CLARITY-BPA participants. Relevant studies employed a laboratory rodent model and reported results on 1 of the 10 organs/organ systems evaluated in CLARITY-BPA (brain and behavior, cardiac, immune, mammary gland, ovary, penile function, prostate gland and urethra, testis and epididymis, thyroid hormone and metabolism, and uterus). Study design and findings were summarized, and a risk-of-bias assessment was conducted.

RESULTS

Several endpoints and methods were identified as potentially helpful to detect effects of EDCs. For example, molecular and quantitative morphological approaches were sensitive in detecting alterations in early postnatal development of the brain, ovary, and mammary glands. Hormone challenge studies mimicking human aging reported increased susceptibility of the prostate to disease following developmental BPA exposure. Statistical analyses for nonmonotonic dose responses, and computational approaches assessing multiple treatment-related outcomes concurrently in linked hormone-sensitive organ systems, reported effects at low BPA doses.

CONCLUSIONS

This review provided an opportunity to evaluate the unique insights provided by nontraditional assessments in CLARITY-BPA to identify technologies and endpoints to enhance detection of EDCs in future studies.

The potential preventive effect of dietary phytochemicals In Vivo

INTRODUCTION

Chemoprevention refers to using specific substances during oncogenesis. Curcumin and catechins are both polyphenol types of phytochemicals present in curcuma longa and green tea. The effect of curcumin is synergistic with epigallocatechin gallate, the most abundant polyphenol in tea.

AIM

To evaluate and compares the chemopreventive effect of both green tea and curcumin (each individually and in combination) through induction of hamster buccal pouch carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Squamous cell carcinoma was chemically induced in fifty Syrian golden hamsters divided into 5 groups (10 each). The first group was used as a normal control group. The second group received the carcinogenic agent only. The other three groups received green tea, curcumin, and a combination of both, respectively. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemical assays were used to evaluate apoptosis, proliferation, and angiogenesis. ANOVA test was used to analyze the results between the study groups.

RESULTS

The cells of the positive control group (B) resulted in 11.57% apoptosis. In the study groups, treatment of the cells with green tea (C), and curcumin (D) and both of them (E) showed increased apoptosis. The fluorescent image in group B showed an increase of the red fluorescence in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the squamous cell carcinoma cells while groups C, D, and E showed a decrease of the red fluorescence in the nuclei of the squamous cell carcinoma cells. The microvessel density was higher in the positive control group as compared to the treated groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of green tea and curcumin has a significant chemopreventive effect against oral carcinogenesis.

Kinetics and Mechanism of Selenium(IV) Oxidation by Aqueous Bromine Solution

The bromine-selenite reaction at strongly acidic conditions was investigated by monitoring the absorbance-time traces at the isosbestic point of the bromine-tribromide system at a constant ionic strength (0.5 M adjusted by sodium perchlorate) and temperature. Despite the simplicity of the stoichiometry, the kinetics was found to be very complex. Although the formal kinetic orders of the reactants bromine and selenite are strictly 1, that of the hydrogen ion varies from -2 to less than -3 and notably depends on the initial bromide concentration as well. The bromide ion also inhibits the reaction, making the whole system as a sound example of efficient autoinhibition. We have clearly shown that the inhibitory effect of the bromide ion cannot be explained quantitatively by either exclusively considering the unreactivity of the tribromide ion over elemental bromine or driving the reaction via hypobromous acid formed from the well-known hydrolysis of bromine in aqueous solutions. Instead of that, bromonium ion transfer initiating equilibrium is suggested between the selenium(IV) and bromine species to produce bromide ion and SeO₃Br^- followed by the hydrolysis of this short-lived intermediate. This hydrolytic transformation was found to be catalytic with respect to hydroxide and bromide ions as well. We have also demonstrated that, among the wide variety of selenium species present in the acidic aqueous solution, the best result can be obtained by considering HSeO₃ ^- as the kinetically active species toward bromine. The proposed mechanism containing 10 acid-base equilibria with known equilibrium constants, the above-mentioned initiating equilibrium, and the hydrolysis of SeO₃Br^- is able to fit all 49 kinetic absorbance-traces simultaneously, taking into account properly the most important characteristics of the measured data at strongly acidic conditions. Furthermore, this kinetic model was further extended by the direct reactions of hypobromous acid with selenium(IV) species suggested previously with reasonably modified rate coefficients to describe the pH dependence of the apparent second-order rate coefficients over the pH = 1-13 range, providing a useful tool to predict more accurately the kinetic behavior of selenium(IV) species in water treatment process conditions.

Global burden of cancers attributable to tobacco smoking, 1990-2019: an ecological study

Aim and background

Identifying risk factors for cancer initiation and progression is the cornerstone of the preventive approach to cancer management and control (EPMA J. 4(1):6, 2013). Tobacco smoking is a well-recognized risk factor for initiation and spread of several cancers. The predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM) approach to cancer management and control focuses on smoking cessation as an essential cancer prevention strategy. Towards this end, this study examines the temporal patterns of cancer burden due to tobacco smoking in the last three decades at global, regional, and national levels.

Data and methods

The data pertaining to the burden of 16 cancers attributable to tobacco smoking at global, regional, and national levels were procured from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study. Two main indicators, deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), were used to describe the burden of cancers attributable to tobacco smoking. The socio-economic development of countries was measured using the socio-demographic index (SDI).

Results

Globally, deaths due to neoplasms caused by tobacco smoking increased from 1.5 million in 1990 to 2.5 million in 2019, whereas the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) decreased from 39.8/100,000 to 30.6/100,000 and the age-standardized DALY rate (ASDALR) decreased from 948.9/100,000 to 677.3/100,000 between 1990 and 2019. Males accounted for approximately 80% of global deaths and DALYs in 2019. Populous regions of Asia and a few regions of Europe account for the largest absolute burden, whereas countries in Europe and America have the highest age-standardized rates of cancers due to tobacco smoking. In 8 out of 21 regions, there were more than 100,000 deaths due to cancers attributable to tobacco smoking led by East Asia, followed by Western Europe in 2019. The regions of Sub-Saharan Africa (except southern region) had one of the lowest absolute counts of deaths, DALYs, and age-standardized rates. In 2019, tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL), esophageal, stomach, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer were the top 5 neoplasms attributable to tobacco smoking, with different burdens in regions as per their development status. The ASMR and ASDALR of neoplasms due to tobacco smoking were positively correlated with SDI, with pairwise correlation coefficient of 0.55 and 0.52, respectively.

Conclusion

As a preventive tool, tobacco smoking cessation has the biggest potential among all risk factors for preventing millions of cancer deaths every year. Cancer burden due to tobacco smoking is found to be higher in males and is positively associated with socio-economic development of countries. As tobacco smoking begins mostly at younger ages and the epidemic is unfolding in several parts of the world, more accelerated efforts are required towards tobacco cessation and preventing youth from entering this addiction. The PPPM approach to medicine suggests that not only personalized and precision medicine must be provided to cancer patients afflicted by tobacco smoking but personalized and targeted preventive solutions must be provided to prevent initiation and progression of smoking.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-022-00308-y.

Ischemic stroke of unclear aetiology: a case-by-case analysis and call for a multi-professional predictive, preventive and personalised approach

Due to the reactive medical approach applied to disease management, stroke has reached an epidemic scale worldwide. In 2019, the global stroke prevalence was 101.5 million people, wherefrom 77.2 million (about 76%) suffered from ischemic stroke; 20.7 and 8.4 million suffered from intracerebral and subarachnoid haemorrhage, respectively. Globally in the year 2019 — 3.3, 2.9 and 0.4 million individuals died of ischemic stroke, intracerebral and subarachnoid haemorrhage, respectively. During the last three decades, the absolute number of cases increased substantially. The current prevalence of stroke is 110 million patients worldwide with more than 60% below the age of 70 years. Prognoses by the World Stroke Organisation are pessimistic: globally, it is predicted that 1 in 4 adults over the age of 25 will suffer stroke in their lifetime. Although age is the best known contributing factor, over 16% of all strokes occur in teenagers and young adults aged 15–49 years and the incidence trend in this population is increasing. The corresponding socio-economic burden of stroke, which is the leading cause of disability, is enormous. Global costs of stroke are estimated at 721 billion US dollars, which is 0.66% of the global GDP.

Clinically manifested strokes are only the “tip of the iceberg”: it is estimated that the total number of stroke patients is about 14 times greater than the currently applied reactive medical approach is capable to identify and manage. Specifically, lacunar stroke (LS), which is characteristic for silent brain infarction, represents up to 30% of all ischemic strokes. Silent LS, which is diagnosed mainly by routine health check-up and autopsy in individuals without stroke history, has a reported prevalence of silent brain infarction up to 55% in the investigated populations. To this end, silent brain infarction is an independent predictor of ischemic stroke. Further, small vessel disease and silent lacunar brain infarction are considered strong contributors to cognitive impairments, dementia, depression and suicide, amongst others in the general population. In sub-populations such as diabetes mellitus type 2, proliferative diabetic retinopathy is an independent predictor of ischemic stroke.

According to various statistical sources, cryptogenic strokes account for 15 to 40% of the entire stroke incidence. The question to consider here is, whether a cryptogenic stroke is fully referable to unidentifiable aetiology or rather to underestimated risks. Considering the latter, translational research might be of great clinical utility to realise innovative predictive and preventive approaches, potentially benefiting high risk individuals and society at large.

In this position paper, the consortium has combined multi-professional expertise to provide clear statements towards the paradigm change from reactive to predictive, preventive and personalised medicine in stroke management, the crucial elements of which are:

Consolidation of multi-disciplinary expertise including family medicine, predictive and in-depth diagnostics followed by the targeted primary and secondary (e.g. treated cancer) prevention of silent brain infarction

Application of the health risk assessment focused on sub-optimal health conditions to effectively prevent health-to-disease transition

Application of AI in medicine, machine learning and treatment algorithms tailored to robust biomarker patterns

Application of innovative screening programmes which adequately consider the needs of young populations

Stroke is a severe brain disease which has reached an epidemic scale worldwide: in 2019, the global stroke prevalence was 101.5 million people. The World Stroke Organisation predicted that globally, 1 in 4 adults over the age of 25 will get a stroke in their lifetime. Not only old people but also teenagers and young adults are affected. Current global costs of stroke are estimated at 721 billion US dollars. Due to undiagnosed so-called “silent” brain infarction, the number of affected individuals is about 14 times greater in the population than clinically recorded. If it remains untreated, silent brain infarction may cause many severe and fatal disorders such as dementia, depression and even suicide. In this position paper, the consortium describes how the rudimental approach to treating severely diseased people could be replaced by an innovative predictive and preventive one to protect people against the health-to-disease transition.

Mutual effect of homocysteine and uric acid on arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk in the context of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine

Background

Arterial stiffness is a major risk factor and effective predictor of cardiovascular diseases and a common pathway of pathological vascular impairments. Homocysteine (Hcy) and uric acid (UA) own the shared metabolic pathways to affect vascular function. Serum uric acid (UA) has a great impact on arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk, while the mutual effect with Hcy remains unknown yet. This study aimed to evaluate the mutual effect of serum Hcy and UA on arterial stiffness and 10-year cardiovascular risk in the general population. From the perspective of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM/3PM), we assumed that combined assessment of Hcy and UA provides a better tool for targeted prevention and personalized intervention of cardiovascular diseases via suppressing arterial stiffness.

Methods

This study consisted of 17,697 participants from Beijing Health Management Cohort, who underwent health examination between January 2012 and December 2019. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was used as an index of arterial stiffness.

Results

Individuals with both high Hcy and UA had the highest baPWV, compared with those with low Hcy and low UA (β: 30.76, 95% CI: 18.36-43.16 in males; β: 53.53, 95% CI: 38.46-68.60 in females). In addition, these individuals owned the highest 10-year cardiovascular risk (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.26-1.76 in males; OR: 7.61, 95% CI: 4.63-12.68 in females). Of note, males with high homocysteine and low uric acid were significantly associated with increased cardiovascular risk (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.15-1.47), but not the high uric acid and low homocysteine group (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.90-1.16).

Conclusions

This study found the significantly mutual effect of Hcy and UA on arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk using a large population and suggested the clinical importance of combined evaluation and control of Hcy and UA for promoting cardiovascular health. The adverse effect of homocysteine on arteriosclerosis should be addressed beyond uric acid, especially for males. Monitoring of the level of both Hcy and UA provides a window opportunity for PPPM/3PM in the progression of arterial stiffness and prevention of CVD. Hcy provides a novel predictor beyond UA of cardiovascular health to identify individuals at high risk of arterial stiffness for the primary prevention and early treatment of CVD. In the progressive stage of arterial stiffness, active control of Hcy and UA levels from the aspects of dietary behavior and medication treatment is conducive to alleviating the level of arterial stiffness and reducing the risk of CVD. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical effect of Hcy and UA targeted intervention on arterial stiffness and cardiovascular health.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-022-00298-x.

A Supramolecular Self-Assembling Nanoagent by Inducing Intracellular Aggregation of PSMA for Prostate Cancer Molecularly Targeted Theranostics

Prostate cancer (PCa) with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-specific high expression is well suited for molecularly targeted theranostics. PSMA expression correlates with the malignancy of PCa, and its dimeric form can promote tumor progression by exerting enzymatic activity to activate downstream signal transduction. However, almost no studies have shown that arresting the procancer signaling of the PSMA receptors themselves can cause tumor cell death. Meanwhile, supramolecular self-assembling peptides are widely used to design anticancer agents due to their unique and excellent properties. Here, a PSMA-targeting supramolecular self-assembling nanotheranostic agent, DBT-2FFGACUPA, which actively targets PSMA receptors on PCa cell membranes and induces them to enter the cell and form large aggregates, is developed. This process not only selectively images PSMA-positive tumor cells but also suppresses the downstream procancer signals of PSMA, causing tumor cell death. This work provides an alternative approach and an advanced agent for molecularly targeted theranostics options in PCa that can induce tumor cell death without relying on any reported anticancer drugs.

Anti-prostate cancer protection and therapy in the framework of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine — comprehensive effects of phytochemicals in primary, secondary and tertiary care

According to the GLOBOCAN 2020, prostate cancer (PCa) is the most often diagnosed male cancer in 112 countries and the leading cancer-related death in 48 countries. Moreover, PCa incidence permanently increases in adolescents and young adults. Also, the rates of metastasising PCa continuously grow up in young populations. Corresponding socio-economic burden is enormous: PCa treatment costs increase more rapidly than for any other cancer. In order to reverse current trends in exploding PCa cases and treatment costs, pragmatic decisions should be made, in favour of advanced populational screening programmes and effective anti-PCa protection at the level of the health-to-disease transition (sub-optimal health conditions) demonstrating the highest cost-efficacy of treatments. For doing this, the paradigm change from reactive treatments of the clinically manifested PCa to the predictive approach and personalised prevention is essential.

Phytochemicals are associated with potent anti-cancer activity targeting each stage of carcinogenesis including cell apoptosis and proliferation, cancer invasiveness and metastatic disease. For example, their positive effects are demonstrated for stabilising and restoring mitochondrial health quality, which if compromised is strongly associated with sub-optimal health conditions and strong predisposition to aggressive PCa sub-types. Further, phytochemicals significantly enhance response of cancer cells to anti-cancer therapies including radio- and chemotherapy. Evident plant-based mitigation of negative side-effects frequently observed for conventional anti-cancer therapies has been reported. Finally, dual anti-cancer and anti-viral effects of phytochemicals such as these of silibinin have been demonstrated as being highly relevant for improved PCa management at the level of secondary and tertiary care, for example, under pandemic conditions, since PCa-affected individuals per evidence are highly vulnerable towards COVID-19 infection.

Here, we present a comprehensive data analysis towards clinically relevant anti-cancer effects of phytochemicals to be considered for personalised anti-PCa protection in primary care as well as for an advanced disease management at the level of secondary and tertiary care in the framework of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine.

Systematic review of sleep and sleep disorders among prostate cancer patients and caregivers: a call to action for using validated sleep assessments during prostate cancer care

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND

To examine the impact of prostate cancer (PCa) on sleep health for patients and caregivers. We hypothesized that sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality would be prevalent among patients with PCa and their caregivers.

PATIENTS/METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis guidelines. To be eligible for this systematic review, studies had to include: (1) patients diagnosed with PCa and/or their caregivers; and (2) objective or subjective data on sleep. 2431 articles were identified from the search. After duplicates were removed, 1577 abstracts were screened for eligibility, and 315 underwent full-text review.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Overall, 83 articles met inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. The majority of papers included patients with PCa (98%), who varied widely in their treatment stage. Only 3 studies reported on sleep among caregivers of patients with PCa. Most studies were designed to address a different issue and examined sleep as a secondary endpoint. Commonly used instruments included the Insomnia Severity Index and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaires (EORTC-QLQ). Overall, patients with PCa reported a variety of sleep issues, including insomnia and general sleep difficulties. Both physical and psychological barriers to sleep are reported in this population. There was common use of hypnotic medications, yet few studies of behavioral interventions to improve sleep for patients with PCa or their caregivers. Many different sleep issues are reported by patients with PCa and caregivers with diverse sleep measurement methods and surveys. Future research may develop consensus on validated sleep assessment tools for use in PCa clinical care and research to promote facilitate comparison of sleep across PCa treatment stages. Also, future research is needed on behavioral interventions to improve sleep among this population.

Construction and Verification of Risk Predicting Models to Evaluate the Possibility of Venous Thromboembolism After Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the second leading cause for death of radical prostatectomy. We aimed to establish new nomogram to predict the VTE risk after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

Methods

Patients receiving RARP in our center from November 2015 to June 2021, were enrolled in study. They were randomly divided into training and testing cohorts by 8:2. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression (model A) and stepwise logistic regression (model B) were used to fit two models. The net reclassification improvement (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to compare predictive abilities of two new models with widely used Caprini risk assessment (CRA) model. Then, two nomograms were constructed and received internal validation.

Results

Totally, 351 patients were included. The area under ROC of model A and model B were 0.967 (95% confidence interval: 0.945–0.990) and 0.978 (95% confidence interval: 0.960–0.996), which also were assayed in the testing cohorts. Both the prediction and classification abilities of the two new models were superior to CRA model (NRI > 0, IDI > 0, p < 0.05). The C-index of Model A and Model B were 0.968 and 0.978, respectively. For clinical usefulness, the two new models offered a net benefit with threshold probability between 0.08 and 1 in decision curve analysis, suggesting the two new models predict VTE events more accurately.

Conclusions

Both two new models have good prediction accuracy and are superior to CRA model. Model A has an advantage of less variable. This easy-to-use model enables rapid clinical decision-making and early intervention in high-risk groups, which ultimately benefit patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1245/s10434-022-11574-5.

Prostate cancer treatment costs increase more rapidly than for any other cancer—how to reverse the trend?

According to GLOBOCAN, about 1.41 million new prostate cancer (PCa) cases were registered in the year 2020 globally. The corresponding socio-economic burden is enormous. Anti-cancer mRNA-based therapy is a promising approach, the principle of which is currently applied for anti-COVID-19 vaccination, undergoing a detailed investigation in populations considering its short- and long-term effectiveness and potential side effects. Pragmatically considered, it will take years or even decades to make mRNA therapy working for any type of cancers, and if possible, for individual malignancy sub-types which are many specifically for the PCa. Actually, the costs of treating PCa are increasing more rapidly than those of any other cancer. The trend has to be reversed now, not in a couple of years. In general, two main components are making currently applied reactive (management of clinically manifested disease) PCa treatment particularly expensive. On one hand, it is rapidly increasing incidence of the disease and metastatic PCa as its subtype. To this end, rapidly increasing PCa incidence rates in young and middle-aged male sub-populations should be taken into account as a long-term contributor to the metastatic disease potentially developed later on in life. On the other hand, patient stratification to differentiate between non-metastatic PCa (no need for an extensive and costly treatment) and particularly aggressive cancer subtypes requiring personalised treatment algorithms is challenging. Considering current statistics, it becomes obvious that reactive medicine got at its limit in PCa management. Multi-professional expertise is unavoidable to create and implement anti-PCa programmes in the population. In our strategic paper, we exemplify challenging PCa management by providing detailed expert recommendations for primary (health risk assessment), secondary (prediction and prevention of metastatic disease in PCa) and tertiary (making palliative care to the management of chronic disease) care in the framework of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine.

Systemic Effects Reflected in Specific Biomarker Patterns Are Instrumental for the Paradigm Change in Prostate Cancer Management: A Strategic Paper

Prostate cancer (PCa) is reported as the most common malignancy and second leading cause of death in America. In Europe, PCa is considered the leading type of tumour in 28 European countries. The costs of treating PCa are currently increasing more rapidly than those of any other cancer. Corresponding economic burden is enormous, due to an overtreatment of slowly developing disease on one hand and underestimation/therapy resistance of particularly aggressive PCa subtypes on the other hand. The incidence of metastatic PCa is rapidly increasing that is particularly characteristic for young adults. PCa is a systemic multi-factorial disease resulting from an imbalanced interplay between risks and protective factors. Sub-optimal behavioural patterns, abnormal stress reactions, imbalanced antioxidant defence, systemic ischemia and inflammation, mitochondriopathies, aberrant metabolic pathways, gene methylation and damage to DNA, amongst others, are synergistically involved in pathomechanisms of PCa development and progression. To this end, PCa-relevant systemic effects are reflected in liquid biopsies such as blood patterns which are instrumental for predictive diagnostics, targeted prevention and personalisation of medical services (PPPM/3P medicine) as a new paradigm in the overall PCa management. This strategic review article highlights systemic effects in prostate cancer development and progression, demonstrates evident challenges in PCa management and provides expert recommendations in the framework of 3P medicine.

Predictive factors, preventive implications, and personalized surgical strategies for bone metastasis from lung cancer: population-based approach with a comprehensive cancer center-based study

Background

Bone metastasis (BM) and skeletal-related events (SREs) happen to advanced lung cancer (LC) patients without warning. LC-BM patients are often passive to BM diagnosis and surgical treatment. It is necessary to guide the diagnosis and treatment paradigm for LC-BM patients from reactive medicine toward predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM) step by step.

Methods

Two independent study cohorts including LC-BM patients were analyzed, including the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cohort (n = 203942) and the prospective Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC) cohort (n = 59). The epidemiological trends of BM in LC patients were depicted. Risk factors for BM were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. An individualized nomogram was developed for BM risk stratification. Personalized surgical strategies and perioperative care were described for FUSCC cohort.

Results

The BM incidence rate in LC patients grew (from 17.53% in 2010 to 19.05% in 2016). Liver metastasis was a significant risk factor for BM (OR = 4.53, 95% CI = 4.38-4.69) and poor prognosis (HR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.25-1.32). The individualized nomogram exhibited good predictive performance for BM risk stratification (AUC = 0.784, 95%CI = 0.781-0.786). Younger patients, males, patients with high invasive LC, and patients with other distant site metastases should be prioritized for BM prevention. Spine is the most common site of BM, causing back pain (91.5%), pathological vertebral fracture (27.1%), and difficult walking (25.4%). Spinal surgery with personalized spinal reconstruction significantly relieved pain and improved daily activities. Perioperative inflammation, immune, and nutrition abnormities warrant personalized managements. Radiotherapy needs to be recommended for specific postoperative individuals.

Conclusions

The presence of liver metastasis is a strong predictor of LC-BM. It is recommended to take proactive measures to prevent BM and its SREs, particularly in young patients, males, high invasive LC, and LC with liver metastasis. BM surgery and perioperative management are personalized and required. In addition, adjuvant radiation following separation surgery must also be included in PPPM-guided management.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-022-00270-9.

Plasma complement C7 as a target in non-small cell lung cancer patients to implement 3P medicine strategies

Background

Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) significantly affect outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, differences in reactions toward PD-1/PD-L1 ICI among patients impose inefficient treatment. Therefore, developing a reliable biomarker to predict PD-1/PD-L1 ICI reaction is highly necessary for predictive, preventive, and personalized (3P) medicine.

Materials and methods

We recruited 63 patients from the National Cancer Center (NCC) and classified them into the training and validation sets. Next, 99 patients were recruited for inclusion into the external validation set at the Samsung Medical Center (SMC). Proteomic analysis enabled us to identify plasma C7 levels, which were significantly different among groups classified by their overall response to the RECIST V 1.1-based assessment. Analytical performance was evaluated to predict the PD-1/PD-L1 ICI response for each type of immunotherapy, and NSCLC histology was evaluated by determining the C7 levels via ELISA.

Results

Plasma C7 levels were significantly different between patients with and without clinical benefits (PFS ≥ 6 months). Among the groups sorted by histology and PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy type, only the predicted accuracy for pembrolizumab-treated patients from both NCC and SMC was greater than 73%. In patients treated with pembrolizumab, C7 levels were superior to those of the companion diagnostics 22C3 (70.3%) and SP263 (62.1%). Moreover, for pembrolizumab-treated patients for whom the PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) was < 50%, the predictive accuracy of C7 was nearly 20% higher than that of 22C3 and SP263.

Conclusion

Evaluation of plasma C7 levels shows an accurate prediction of NSCLC patient reactions on pembrolizumab. It demonstrates plasma C7 is an alternative and supportive biomarker to overcome the predictive limitation of previous 22C3 and SP263. Thus, it is clear that clinical use of plasma C7 allows predictive diagnosis on lung cancer patients who have not been successfully treated with current CDx and targeted prevention on metastatic diseases in secondary care caused by a misdiagnosis of current CDx. Reduction of patients' financial burden and increased efficacy of cancer treatment would also enable prediction, prevention, and personalization of medical service on NSCLC patients. In other words, plasma C7 provides efficient medical service and an optimized medical economy followed which finally promotes the prosperity of 3P medicine.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-021-00266-x.

Superficial temperature distribution patterns before and after physical activity in school children are indicative for personalized exercise coaching and disease prevention

Background

Thermoregulation is highly individual and predictive for potentially cascading pathologies. Altered and deficient thermoregulation is considered an important diagnostic indicator which can be of great clinical utility for specialized screening programs and individualized prediction and prevention of severe pathologies triggered early in life.

Working hypothesis

Individual thermoregulation can be objectively assessed by thermovision camera before and after exercises in school children stratified by age and gender that may be of great clinical utility for personalized training early in life in the framework of 3P medicine.

Study design

In this study, 60 female and male primary school children were exposed to physical exercises in the form of 45-min general fitness training. The subjects under examination were stratified by age: group 1 (7-year-olds), group 2 (9-year-olds), and group 3 (12-year-olds). Superficial body temperature patterns were measured by means of thermovision camera before and immediately after exercises, as well as after the 15-min recovery time. Temperature patterns were analyzed in 12 areas of the body front and back, covering trunk and upper and lower limbs.

Results

The obtained results revealed an individual and age-depended difference in response of the body to exercises. The first measurement prior to exercise (measurement 1) revealed no statistically significant differences in the mean surface temperature of all analyzed areas between 7- and 9-year-old children. Further, 7- and 9-year-old children did not differ significantly in the mean temperature recorded in the trunk compared to the 12-year-old children. However, in 12-year-old children, statistically significant higher values of the mean temperature of the upper and lower limbs, were observed compared to the group of 7-year-olds and significantly higher values of the mean temperature of the lower limbs compared to the group of 9-year-olds. Immediately after exercises (measurement 2), a statistically significant decrease in the temperature was noted in all groups and in all areas of the body. The greatest temperature change was observed in 12-year-olds, while the least one was measured in the youngest subjects. The statistically significant relation between the average trunk temperature of 7-year-old and 12-year-old children was observed: lower values of the mean temperature of the front and back of the trunk were noted in the group of 12-year-old children compared to the group of 7-year-olds. A significantly lower average temperature of the back of the trunk compared to the youngest group was also recorded in 9-year-old children. The study performed after the 15-min recovery time (measurement 3) showed an increase in the average temperature of all analyzed areas. In all subjects, the mean temperature recorded in measurement 3 did not differ significantly from the initial ones (measurement 1, prior to exercises). Only the mean temperature of the trunk back of 12-year-old children was significantly lower after the rest period compared to the initial examination. In all groups, the temperatures after exercises followed by a 15-min recovery returned to the initial ones, except of the trunk backs of 12-year-old children, where the temperature was lower than before exercises.

Conclusions and expert recommendations in the framework of 3PM

Thermovision analysis is an effective tool to assess individual thermoregulation and to stratify school children for personalized exercise coaching. Body exercise-based disease prevention early in life is effective when tailored to the person: multi-parametric guidance for prescribing exercises individually is needed. Contextually, proposed individualized training approach should be adapted to the age-dependent particularities and individual thermoregulation.

Association Between Pre-Treatment and Post-Treatment 3-Month Red Cell Distribution Width with Three-Year Prognosis of Prostate Cancer

Purpose

Red cell distribution width (RDW), an inflammation biomarker, has been linked to poor outcomes in patients with different types of cancers. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between pre-/post-treatment 3-month RDW levels and changes in RDW with 3-year prognosis of prostate cancer.

Patients and Methods

A total of 348 patients with prostate cancer were recruited between June 1, 2012 and June 1, 2017 and were followed up for at least 3 years. RDW was measured with the Mindray BC-6800Plus automatic blood counting system at pre- and post-treatment 3-month. Demographic and clinical information of the participants were also collected. The overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Cox regression and competing risk regression analyses were performed.

Results

During the follow-up period, 51 (14.66%) deaths occurred. The levels of pre- and post-treatment RDW levels were significantly higher in the death group than in the survival group (p<0.001). In the death group, the level of RDW continued to rise in most subjects, and the mean level of RDW was significantly higher at post-treatment than pre-treatment, contrary to the results observed in the survival group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that high pre-treatment RDW, high post-treatment RDW, and persistently higher RDW were independently associated with OS and CSS (p<0.001). Similar results were observed in the competing risk regression analysis. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that patients with higher pre-treatment RDW levels, higher post-treatment RDW levels, and persistently higher RDW levels had poorer 3-year OS and CSS rates (p<0.05).

Conclusion

The levels of and changes in RDW before and after treatment were associated with the 3-year prognosis of prostate cancer, suggesting that RDW might be an efficient prognostic predictor in patients with prostate cancer.

All around suboptimal health - a joint position paper of the Suboptimal Health Study Consortium and European Association for Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine

First two decades of the twenty-first century are characterised by epidemics of non-communicable diseases such as many hundreds of millions of patients diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases and the type 2 diabetes mellitus, breast, lung, liver and prostate malignancies, neurological, sleep, mood and eye disorders, amongst others. Consequent socio-economic burden is tremendous. Unprecedented decrease in age of maladaptive individuals has been reported. The absolute majority of expanding non-communicable disorders carry a chronic character, over a couple of years progressing from reversible suboptimal health conditions to irreversible severe pathologies and cascading collateral complications. The time-frame between onset of SHS and clinical manifestation of associated disorders is the operational area for an application of reliable risk assessment tools and predictive diagnostics followed by the cost-effective targeted prevention and treatments tailored to the person. This article demonstrates advanced strategies in bio/medical sciences and healthcare focused on suboptimal health conditions in the frame-work of Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine (3PM/PPPM). Potential benefits in healthcare systems and for society at large include but are not restricted to an improved life-quality of major populations and socio-economical groups, advanced professionalism of healthcare-givers and sustainable healthcare economy. Amongst others, following medical areas are proposed to strongly benefit from PPPM strategies applied to the identification and treatment of suboptimal health conditions:Stress overload associated pathologiesMale and female healthPlanned pregnanciesPeriodontal healthEye disordersInflammatory disorders, wound healing and pain management with associated complicationsMetabolic disorders and suboptimal body weightCardiovascular pathologiesCancersStroke, particularly of unknown aetiology and in young individualsSleep medicineSports medicineImproved individual outcomes under pandemic conditions such as COVID-19.

Association of systemic inflammation indices with visual field loss progression in patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma: potential biomarkers for 3P medical approaches

RELEVANCE

Accumulating evidence suggests a dysfunction of the para-inflammation in the retinal ganglion cell layer and the optic nerve head in patients with glaucoma. Currently, circulating blood platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) are regarded as novel indicators of systemic inflammation. Biomarkers allow early identification of patients with visual field (VF) loss progression and timely implementation of replacement therapies.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate whether higher inflammatory indices (PLR, NLR, and LMR) were associated with VF loss progression in patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) for the predictive diagnostics, targeted prevention, and personalization of medical services.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study followed up 277 patients with PACG for at least 24 months, with clinical examination and VF testing every 6 months. Inflammatory cell quantification, including platelets, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes, was measured using the Sysmex XN-A1 automated inflammatory cells quantification system. Three systemic inflammatory indices, PLR, NLR, and LMR, were determined on the basis of baseline neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, and platelet counts in patients with PACG. The risk factors for PACG were analyzed using logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards regression, and the Kaplan-Meier curve.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that 111 (40.07%) patients showed VF loss progression. The PLR was significantly higher (P = 0.046) in the progression group than in the non-progression group. A higher PLR (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.08, P = 0.004) was a risk factor for PACG progression. In multivariate analyses, PLR independently predicted VF loss progression (HR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.01, P = 0.04). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that higher PLR indicated significantly higher rates of VF loss progression (66.91% vs. 52.90%, P = 0.03). Comparable results were observed in the male and female subgroups.

CONCLUSION

Our findings revealed the significant association between a high PLR and a greater risk of VF loss progression in patients with PACG. PLR may be highly recommended as a novel predictive/diagnostic tool for the assessment of VF loss progression from the perspectives of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine in vulnerable populations and for individual screening.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-021-00260-3.

Abscopal Effects in Metastatic Cancer: Is a Predictive Approach Possible to Improve Individual Outcomes?

Patients with metastatic cancers often require radiotherapy (RT) as a palliative therapy for cancer pain. RT can, however, also induce systemic antitumor effects outside of the irradiated field (abscopal effects) in various cancer entities. The occurrence of the abscopal effect is associated with a specific immunological activation in response to RT-induced cell death, which is mainly seen under concomitant immune checkpoint blockade. Even if the number of reported apscopal effects has increased since the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibition, its occurrence is still considered rare and unpredictable. The cases reported so far may nevertheless allow for identifying first biomarkers and clinical patterns. We here review biomarkers that may be helpful to predict the occurrence of abscopal effects and hence to optimize therapy for patients with metastatic cancers.

Retrospective analysis of characteristics associated with higher-value radiotherapy episodes of care for bone metastases in Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries

OBJECTIVES

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' newly enacted Radiation Oncology Model ('RO Model') was designed to test the cost-saving potential of prospective episode-based payments for radiation treatment for 17 cancer diagnoses by encouraging high-value care and more efficient care delivery. For bone metastases, evidence supports the use of higher-value, shorter courses of radiation (≤10 fractions). Our goal was to determine the prevalence of short radiation courses (≤10 fractions) for bone metastases and the setting, treatment and patient characteristics associated with such courses and their expenditures.

DESIGN

Using the RO Model episode file, we evaluated receipt of ≤10 fractions of radiotherapy for bone metastases and expenditures by treatment setting for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries during calendar years 2015-2017.Using unadjusted and adjusted regression models, we determined predictors of receipt of ≤10 fractions and expenditures. Multivariable models adjusted for treatment and patient characteristics.

RESULTS

There were 48 810 episodes for bone metastases during the period. A majority of episodes for ≤10 fractions occurred in hospital-outpatient settings (62.8% (N=22 715)). After adjusting for treatment and patient factors, hospital-outpatient treatment setting remained a significant predictor of receiving ≤10 fractions (adjusted OR 2.03 (95% CI 1.95, 2.12; p<0.001) vs free-standing). The greatest adjusted contributors to total expenditures were number of fractions (US$-3424 (95% CI US$-3412 to US$-3435) for ≤10 fractions vs >10; p<0.001) and treatment type (including US$7716 (95% CI US$7424 to US$8018) for intensity modulated radiation therapy vs conventional external beam; p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A measurable performance gap exists for delivery of higher-value bone metastases radiotherapy under an episode-based model, associated with increased expenditures. The RO Model may succeed in improving the value of bone metastases radiation. Increasing the capacity of free-standing centres to implement palliative-focused services may improve the ability of these practices to succeed under the RO Model.

Personalization of medical treatments in oncology: time for rethinking the disease concept to improve individual outcomes

The agenda of pharmacology discovery in the field of personalized oncology was dictated by the search of molecular targets assumed to deterministically drive tumor development. In this perspective, genes play a fundamental "causal" role while cells simply act as causal proxies, i.e., an intermediate between the molecular input and the organismal output. However, the ceaseless genomic change occurring across time within the same primary and metastatic tumor has broken the hope of a personalized treatment based only upon genomic fingerprint. Indeed, current models are unable in capturing the unfathomable complexity behind the outbreak of a disease, as they discard the contribution of non-genetic factors, environment constraints, and the interplay among different tiers of organization. Herein, we posit that a comprehensive personalized model should view at the disease as a "historical" process, in which different spatially and timely distributed factors interact with each other across multiple levels of organization, which collectively interact with a dynamic gene-expression pattern. Given that a disease is a dynamic, non-linear process - and not a static-stable condition - treatments should be tailored according to the "timing-frame" of each condition. This approach can help in detecting those critical transitions through which the system can access different attractors leading ultimately to diverse outcomes - from a pre-disease state to an overt illness or, alternatively, to recovery. Identification of such tipping points can substantiate the predictive and the preventive ambition of the Predictive, Preventive and Personalized Medicine (PPPM/3PM). However, an unusual effort is required to conjugate multi-omics approaches, data collection, and network analysis reconstruction (eventually involving innovative Artificial Intelligent tools) to recognize the critical phases and the relevant targets, which could help in patient stratification and therapy personalization.

Flavonoids against non-physiologic inflammation attributed to cancer initiation, development, and progression—3PM pathways

Inflammation is an essential pillar of the immune defense. On the other hand, chronic inflammation is considered a hallmark of cancer initiation and progression. Chronic inflammation demonstrates a potential to induce complex changes at molecular, cellular, and organ levels including but not restricted to the stagnation and impairment of healing processes, uncontrolled production of aggressive ROS/RNS, triggered DNA mutations and damage, compromised efficacy of the DNA repair machinery, significantly upregulated cytokine/chemokine release and associated patho-physiologic protein synthesis, activated signaling pathways involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression, abnormal tissue remodeling, and created pre-metastatic niches, among others. The anti-inflammatory activities of flavonoids demonstrate clinically relevant potential as preventive and therapeutic agents to improve individual outcomes in diseases linked to the low-grade systemic and chronic inflammation, including cancers. To this end, flavonoids are potent modulators of pro-inflammatory gene expression being, therefore, of great interest as agents selectively suppressing molecular targets within pro-inflammatory pathways. This paper provides in-depth analysis of anti-inflammatory properties of flavonoids, highlights corresponding mechanisms and targeted molecular pathways, and proposes potential treatment models for multi-level cancer prevention in the framework of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM / 3PM). To this end, individualized profiling and patient stratification are essential for implementing targeted anti-inflammatory approaches. Most prominent examples are presented for the proposed application of flavonoid-conducted anti-inflammatory treatments in overall cancer management.

Caution, "normal" BMI: health risks associated with potentially masked individual underweight-EPMA Position Paper 2021

An increasing interest in a healthy lifestyle raises questions about optimal body weight. Evidently, it should be clearly discriminated between the standardised "normal" body weight and individually optimal weight. To this end, the basic principle of personalised medicine "one size does not fit all" has to be applied. Contextually, "normal" but e.g. borderline body mass index might be optimal for one person but apparently suboptimal for another one strongly depending on the individual genetic predisposition, geographic origin, cultural and nutritional habits and relevant lifestyle parameters-all included into comprehensive individual patient profile. Even if only slightly deviant, both overweight and underweight are acknowledged risk factors for a shifted metabolism which, if being not optimised, may strongly contribute to the development and progression of severe pathologies. Development of innovative screening programmes is essential to promote population health by application of health risks assessment, individualised patient profiling and multi-parametric analysis, further used for cost-effective targeted prevention and treatments tailored to the person. The following healthcare areas are considered to be potentially strongly benefiting from the above proposed measures: suboptimal health conditions, sports medicine, stress overload and associated complications, planned pregnancies, periodontal health and dentistry, sleep medicine, eye health and disorders, inflammatory disorders, healing and pain management, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, cancers, psychiatric and neurologic disorders, stroke of known and unknown aetiology, improved individual and population outcomes under pandemic conditions such as COVID-19. In a long-term way, a significantly improved healthcare economy is one of benefits of the proposed paradigm shift from reactive to Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine (PPPM/3PM). A tight collaboration between all stakeholders including scientific community, healthcare givers, patient organisations, policy-makers and educators is essential for the smooth implementation of 3PM concepts in daily practice.

Endothelin-1 axes in the framework of predictive, preventive and personalised (3P) medicine

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is involved in the regulation of a myriad of processes highly relevant for physical and mental well-being; female and male health; in the modulation of senses, pain, stress reactions and drug sensitivity as well as healing processes, amongst others. Shifted ET-1 homeostasis may influence and predict the development and progression of suboptimal health conditions, metabolic impairments with cascading complications, ageing and related pathologies, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative pathologies, aggressive malignancies, modulating, therefore, individual outcomes of both non-communicable and infectious diseases such as COVID-19. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the involvement of ET-1 and related regulatory pathways in physiological and pathophysiological processes and estimates its capacity as a predictor of ageing and related pathologies,a sensor of lifestyle quality and progression of suboptimal health conditions to diseases for their targeted preventionand as a potent target for cost-effective treatments tailored to the person.

Wrist actigraphic approach in primary, secondary and tertiary care based on the principles of predictive, preventive and personalised (3P) medicine

Abstract

Sleep quality and duration as well as activity-rest-cycles at individual level are crucial for maintaining physical and mental health. Although several methods do exist to monitor these parameters, optimal approaches are still under consideration and technological development. Wrist actigraphy is a non-invasive electro-physical method validated in the field of chronobiology to record movements and to allow for monitoring human activity-rest-cycles. Based on the continuous recording of motor activity and light exposure, actigraphy provides valuable information about the quality and quantity of the sleep–wake rhythm and about the amount of motor activity at day and night that is highly relevant for predicting a potential disease and its targeted prevention as well as personalisation of medical services provided to individuals in suboptimal health conditions and patients. Being generally used in the field of sleep medicine, actigraphy demonstrates a great potential to be successfully implemented in primary, secondary and tertiary care, psychiatry, oncology, and intensive care, military and sports medicines as well as epidemiological monitoring of behavioural habits as well as well-being medical support, amongst others.

Prediction of disease development and individual outcomes

Activity-rest-cycles have been demonstrated to be an important predictor for many diseases including but not restricted to the development of metabolic, psychiatric and malignant pathologies. Moreover, activity-rest-cycles directly impact individual outcomes in corresponding patient cohorts.

Targeted prevention

Data acquired by actigraphy are instrumental for the evidence-based targeted prevention by analysing individualised patient profiles including light exposure, sleep duration and quality, activity-rest-cycles, intensity and structure of motion pattern.

Personalised therapy

Wrist actigraphic approach is increasingly used in clinical care. Personalised measurements of sedation/agitation rhythms are useful for ICU patients, for evaluation of motor fatigue in oncologic patients, for an individual enhancement of performance in military and sport medicine. In the framework of personalised therapy intervention, patients can be encouraged to optimise their behavioural habits improving recovery and activity patterns. This opens excellent perspectives for the sleep-inducing medication and stimulants replacement as well as for increasing the role of participatory medicine by visualising and encouraging optimal behavioural patterns of the individual.

The Etiology and Pathophysiology Genesis of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer: A New Perspective

Background: The etiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer are unknown, with ageing being the greatness risk factor. Methods: This new perspective evaluates the available interdisciplinary evidence regarding prostate ageing in terms of the cell biology of regulation and homeostasis, which could explain the timeline of evolutionary cancer biology as degenerative, inflammatory and neoplasm progressions in these multifactorial and heterogeneous prostatic diseases. Results: This prostate ageing degeneration hypothesis encompasses the testosterone-vascular-inflamm-ageing triad, along with the cell biology regulation of amyloidosis and autophagy within an evolutionary tumorigenesis microenvironment. Conclusions: An understanding of these biological processes of prostate ageing can provide potential strategies for early prevention and could contribute to maintaining quality of life for the ageing individual along with substantial medical cost savings.

Flavonoids as an effective sensitizer for anti-cancer therapy: insights into multi-faceted mechanisms and applicability towards individualized patient profiles

Cost-efficacy of currently applied treatments is an issue in overall cancer management challenging healthcare and causing tremendous economic burden to societies around the world. Consequently, complex treatment models presenting concepts of predictive diagnostics followed by targeted prevention and treatments tailored to the personal patient profiles earn global appreciation as benefiting the patient, healthcare economy, and the society at large. In this context, application of flavonoids as a spectrum of compounds and their nano-technologically created derivatives is extensively under consideration, due to their multi-faceted anti-cancer effects applicable to the overall cost-effective cancer management, primary, secondary, and even tertiary prevention. This article analyzes most recently updated data focused on the potent capacity of flavonoids to promote anti-cancer therapeutic effects and interprets all the collected research achievements in the frame-work of predictive, preventive, and personalized (3P) medicine. Main pillars considered are: - Predictable anti-neoplastic, immune-modulating, drug-sensitizing effects; - Targeted molecular pathways to improve therapeutic outcomes by increasing sensitivity of cancer cells and reversing their resistance towards currently applied therapeutic modalities.

Metabo-tip: a metabolomics platform for lifestyle monitoring supporting the development of novel strategies in predictive, preventive and personalised medicine

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Exposure to bioactive compounds from nutrition, pharmaceuticals, environmental contaminants or other lifestyle habits may affect the human organism. To gain insight into the effects of these influences, as well as the fundamental biochemical mechanisms behind them, individual molecular profiling seems to be a promising tool and may support the further development of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine.

METHODS

We developed an assay, called metabo-tip for the analysis of sweat, collected from fingertips, using mass spectrometry-by far the most comprehensive and sensitive method for such analyses. To evaluate this assay, we exposed volunteers to various xenobiotics using standardised protocols and investigated their metabolic response.

RESULTS

As early as 15 min after the consumption of a cup of coffee, 50 g of dark chocolate or a serving of citrus fruits, significant changes in the sweat composition of the fingertips were observed, providing relevant information in regard to the ingested substances. This included not only health-promoting bioactive compounds but also potential hazardous substances. Furthermore, the identification of metabolites from orally ingested medications such as metamizole indicated the applicability of this assay to observe specific enzymatic processes in a personalised fashion. Remarkably, we found that the sweat composition fluctuated in a diurnal rhythm, supporting the hypothesis that the composition of sweat can be influenced by endogenous metabolic activities. This was further corroborated by the finding that histamine was significantly increased in the metabo-tip assay in individuals with allergic reactions.

CONCLUSION

Metabo-tip analysis may have a large number of practical applications due to its analytical power, non-invasive character and the potential of frequent sampling, especially regarding the individualised monitoring of specific lifestyle and influencing factors. The extraordinarily rich individualised metabolomics data provided by metabo-tip offer direct access to individual metabolic activities and will thus support predictive preventive personalised medicine.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-021-00241-6.

Combined Impact of Inflammation and Pharmacogenomic Variants on Voriconazole Trough Concentrations: A Meta-Analysis of Individual Data

Few studies have simultaneously investigated the impact of inflammation and genetic polymorphisms of cytochromes P450 2C19 and 3A4 on voriconazole trough concentrations. We aimed to define the respective impact of inflammation and genetic polymorphisms on voriconazole exposure by performing individual data meta-analyses. A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed to identify studies focusing on voriconazole therapeutic drug monitoring with data of both inflammation (assessed by C-reactive protein level) and the pharmacogenomics of cytochromes P450. Individual patient data were collected and analyzed in a mixed-effect model. In total, 203 patients and 754 voriconazole trough concentrations from six studies were included. Voriconazole trough concentrations were independently influenced by age, dose, C-reactive protein level, and both cytochrome P450 2C19 and 3A4 genotype, considered individually or through a combined genetic score. An increase in the C-reactive protein of 10, 50, or 100 mg/L was associated with an increased voriconazole trough concentration of 6, 35, or 82%, respectively. The inhibitory effect of inflammation appeared to be less important for patients with loss-of-function polymorphisms for cytochrome P450 2C19. Voriconazole exposure is influenced by age, inflammatory status, and the genotypes of both cytochromes P450 2C19 and 3A4, suggesting that all these determinants need to be considered in approaches of personalization of voriconazole treatment.

Phytochemicals in Chemoprevention: A Cost-Effective Complementary Approach

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death across the world. Although conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have effectively decreased cancer progression, they come with many dose-limiting side-effects. Phytochemicals that naturally occur in spices, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and other common foods are surprisingly effective complements to conventional cancer treatments. These biologically active compounds demonstrate anticancer effects via cell signaling pathway interference in cancerous cells. In addition, phytochemicals protect non-cancerous cells from chemotherapy-induced side-effects. This paper addresses the not only the potential of phytochemicals quercetin, isoflavones, curcumin, catechins, and hesperidin in terms of cancer treatment and protection against side-effects of chemotherapy, but also methods for increasing phytochemical bioavailability.

Prostate Cancer Diagnostic Algorithm as a "Road Map" from the First Stratification of the Patient to the Final Treatment Decision

The diagnostics of prostate cancer are currently based on three pillars: prostate biomarker panel, imaging techniques, and histological verification. This paper presents a diagnostic algorithm that can serve as a "road map": from initial patient stratification to the final decision regarding treatment. The algorithm is based on a review of the current literature combined with our own experience. Diagnostic algorithms are a feature of an advanced healthcare system in which all steps are consciously coordinated and optimized to ensure the proper individualization of the treatment process. The prostate cancer diagnostic algorithm was created using the prostate specific antigen and in particular the Prostate Health Index in the first line of patient stratification. It then continued on the diagnostic pathway via imaging techniques, biopsy, or active surveillance, and then on to the treatment decision itself. In conclusion, the prostate cancer diagnostic algorithm presented here is a functional tool for initial patient stratification, comprehensive staging, and aggressiveness assessment. Above all, emphasis is placed on the use of the Prostate Health Index (PHI) in the first stratification of the patients as a predictor of aggressiveness and clinical stage of prostrate cancer (PCa). The inclusion of PHI in the algorithm significantly increases the accuracy and speed of the diagnostic procedure and allows to choose the optimal pathway just from the beginning. The use of advanced diagnostic techniques allows us to move towards to a more advanced level of cancer care. This diagnostics algorithm has become a standard of care in our hospital. The algorithm is continuously validated and modified based on our results.

Detection and Investigation of Extracellular Vesicles in Serum and Urine Supernatant of Prostate Cancer Patients

Prostate Cancer (PCa) is one of the most frequently identified urological cancers. PCa patients are often over-diagnosed due to still not highly specific diagnostic methods. The need for more accurate diagnostic tools to prevent overestimated diagnosis and unnecessary treatment of patients with non-malignant conditions is clear, and new markers and methods are strongly desirable. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) hold great promises as liquid biopsy-based markers. Despite the biological and technical issues present in their detection and study, these particles can be found highly abundantly in the biofluid and encompass a wealth of macromolecules that have been reported to be related to many physiological and pathological processes, including cancer onset, metastasis spreading, and treatment resistance. The present study aims to perform a technical feasibility study to develop a new workflow for investigating EVs from several biological sources. Serum and urinary supernatant EVs of PCa, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients, and healthy donors were isolated and investigated by a fast, easily performable, and cost-effective cytofluorimetric approach for a multiplex detection of 37 EV-antigens. We also observed significant alterations in serum and urinary supernatant EVs potentially related to BPH and PCa, suggesting a potential clinical application of this workflow.

Mitochondrial impairments in aetiopathology of multifactorial diseases: common origin but individual outcomes in context of 3P medicine

Mitochondrial injury plays a key role in the aetiopathology of multifactorial diseases exhibiting a "vicious circle" characteristic for pathomechanisms of the mitochondrial and multi-organ damage frequently developed in a reciprocal manner. Although the origin of the damage is common (uncontrolled ROS release, diminished energy production and extensive oxidative stress to life-important biomolecules such as mtDNA and chrDNA), individual outcomes differ significantly representing a spectrum of associated pathologies including but not restricted to neurodegeneration, cardiovascular diseases and cancers. Contextually, the role of predictive, preventive and personalised (PPPM/3P) medicine is to introduce predictive analytical approaches which allow for distinguishing between individual outcomes under circumstance of mitochondrial impairments followed by cost-effective targeted prevention and personalisation of medical services. Current article considers innovative concepts and analytical instruments to advance management of mitochondriopathies and associated pathologies.

Mitochondriopathies as a Clue to Systemic Disorders-Analytical Tools and Mitigating Measures in Context of Predictive, Preventive, and Personalized (3P) Medicine

The mitochondrial respiratory chain is the main site of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the cell. Although mitochondria possess a powerful antioxidant system, an excess of ROS cannot be completely neutralized and cumulative oxidative damage may lead to decreasing mitochondrial efficiency in energy production, as well as an increasing ROS excess, which is known to cause a critical imbalance in antioxidant/oxidant mechanisms and a "vicious circle" in mitochondrial injury. Due to insufficient energy production, chronic exposure to ROS overproduction consequently leads to the oxidative damage of life-important biomolecules, including nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and amino acids, among others. Different forms of mitochondrial dysfunction (mitochondriopathies) may affect the brain, heart, peripheral nervous and endocrine systems, eyes, ears, gut, and kidney, among other organs. Consequently, mitochondriopathies have been proposed as an attractive diagnostic target to be investigated in any patient with unexplained progressive multisystem disorder. This review article highlights the pathomechanisms of mitochondriopathies, details advanced analytical tools, and suggests predictive approaches, targeted prevention and personalization of medical services as instrumental for the overall management of mitochondriopathy-related cascading pathologies.