PPPM (Predictive, Preventive and Personalized Medicine) as a New Model of the National and International Healthcare Services and Thus a Promising Strategy to Prevent a Disease: From Basics to Practice

Nowadays the system of public health is constructed in such a manner so that its main objective is the recovery of an already sick person, while prediction and prevention receive little attention. Meanwhile the development of these aspects of medicine can lead to the ability to control morbidity among the population, to identify chronic and genetic diseases in the early stages of development, and thus to prevent their further progression. This will reduce traditionally high costs of sick people treatment and the number of disabled population, and improve the quality and duration of life. The elaboration of new fields of science that are working on the study and interpretation of data obtained during laboratory and clinical research, creation of new methods for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment, provides an opportunity now to implement a new strategy, called PPPM, and gets promising results, which should lead to further development of an existing medicine.

A novel nonsense mutation of GPR143 gene in a Korean kindred with X-linked congenital nystagmus

Dear Editor,I am Dr.Ungsoo Samuel Kim.from Kim＇s Eye Hospital,Konyang University,Seoul,Korea.I write to present a novel mutation of GPR143 in Korean patients with X-linked congenital nystagmus by using exome sequencing.Congenital nystagmus is an inherited ocular disorder that can occur as an X-linked condition.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression in mixed gastric carcinoma

AIM: To investigate human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) amplification and protein expression in mixed gastric carcinoma.METHODS: Fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used to detect HER2 amplification and protein expression in 277 cases of mixed gastric carcinoma. Protein staining intensity was rate as 1+, 2+, or 3+.RESULTS: Of the 277 cases, 114(41.2%) expressed HER2 protein. HER2 3+ staining was observed in 28/277(10.1%) cases, 2+ in 37/277(13.4%) cases, and 1+ in 49/277(17.7%) cases. A HER2 amplification rate of 17% was detected, of which 25/28(89.3%) were observed in the HER2 3+ staining group, 17/37(45.9%) in 2+, and 5/49(10.2%) in 1+. Of the 47 patients with HER2 amplification who received chemotherapy plus trastuzumab, 22 demonstrated median progression-free and overall survivals of 9.1 mo and 16.7 mo, respectively, which were significantly better than those achieved with chemotherapy alone(5.6 mo and 12.1 mo, respectively) in 19 previously treated patients(P s < 0.05). CONCLUSION: HER2 detection in mixed gastric carcinoma displays high heterogeneity. Relativelyquantitative parameters are needed for assessing the level of HER2 amplification and protein expression.

The mechanism of dysbiosis in alcoholic liver disease leading to liver cancer

Currently, alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is one of the most prevalent chronic liver diseases worldwide, representing one of the main etiologies of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although we do not know the exact mechanisms by which only a selected group of patients with ALD progress to the final stage of HCC, the role of the gut microbiota within the progression to HCC has been intensively studied in recent years. To date, we know that alcohol-induced gut dysbiosis is an important feature of ALD with important repercussions on the severity of this disease. In essence, an increased metabolism of ethanol in the gut induced by an excessive alcohol consumption promotes gut dysfunction and bacterial overgrowth, setting a leaky gut. This causes the translocation of bacteria, endotoxins, and ethanol metabolites across the enterohepatic circulation reaching the liver, where the recognition of the pathogen-associated molecular patterns via specific Toll-like receptors of liver cells will induce the activation of the nuclear factor kappa-B pathway, which releases pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. In addition, the mitogenic activity of hepatocytes will be promoted and cellular apoptosis will be inhibited, resulting in the development of HCC. In this context, it is not surprising that microbiota-regulating drugs have proven effectiveness in prolonging the overall survival of patients with HCC, making attractive the implementation of these drugs as co-adjuvant for HCC treatment.

The pros and cons of biological effects of herbs and herb-derived compounds on liver tumorigenesis

Consumption of natural products such as herbs,spices,plant-derived compounds,and foods is on the rise globally.The use of these substances is widely recognized as an integral part of culture and tradition,with the philosophy being“no benefit is no harm”.The utility of medicinal plants and extracts is under scrutiny,and the scientific community needs to clarify many conceptual gaps.Medicinal plants are rich in bioactive phytochemicals that produce chemopreventive effects at different levels,including cellular,animal,and clinical.The ultimate translational value is often missing,and some studies suggest that botanicals may contain toxic compounds that cause acute or chronic toxicity.In this regard,the liver is the center,and herbal products can show protective effects or induce hepatotoxicity,thereby promoting liver cancer.In this review article,we examine a range of herbal products implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis and extend the discussion to herbal products that may be potentially involved in the prevention and treatment of liver carcinoma.