Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Vincent S Gallicchio
Clemson University, USA
Keynote: Personalized medicine: The future of clinical practice - Will it lead to better patient care?
Time : 09:50-10:15
Biography:
Vincent S Gallicchio is Professor of Biological Sciences, Public Health and Microbiology at Clemson University. He is the Vice President of the Trace ElementrnResearch Centers operating under UNESCO and the immediate Past-President of the International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science. He has authoredrnmore than 200 peer-reviewed scientifi c articles, book chapters and textbooks. He is the Inventor on eleven US and one international patent focused on drugrndelivery. He has received more than $22 million in research funding. In 2003 he was presented to her majesty Queen Elizabeth of England for his efforts promotingrnhigher education opportunities for British students
Abstract:
Personalized Medicine (PM) is a model that proposes the customization of healthcare - with medical decisions, practices,rnand/or products being tailored to the individual patient. Use of genomic information plays a major role in certain aspects of PM. Th e term was fi rst coined in the context of genetics (though it has since broadened to encompass all sorts of personalizationrnmeasures). To distinguish from the context in which medicine has always been inherently “personal” to each patient, PM commonly denotes the use of technology or discovery enabling a level of personalization not previously feasible or practical.rnAdvances in medical and human genetics have enabled a more detailed understanding of the impact of genetics in diagnosis,rntreatment and prognosis of human disease. Large collaborative research projects such as the human genome project have laidrnthe groundwork for the understanding the role of genes in normal human development including physiology revealing SinglernNucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) account for the genetic variability between individuals. Th is information has made possiblernthe use of genome association studies (GWAS) to examine genetic variation and thus understand the risk for many commonrndiseases. A number of topics have emerged that have targeted personalized medicine they are: Pharmacogenomics, proteomicsrnand metabolomics. For example, the management of cancer identifi ed the presence of genes associated with the induction ofrna number of human cancers. Th is list has grown in signifi cance amplifi ed recently with the actions made in personal healthrnby the actress Angelina Jolie. PM also has identifi ed a number of notable concerns and opportunities. One such concern is thernindividual cost of PM for those individuals who do not have personalized health care insurance. Legislation in the form of thernGenomics and Personalized Medicine Act has been introduced in the Congress of the United States to address issues involvingrnscientifi c barriers, adverse market pressures and regulatory obstacles. Importantly, the passing of the Aff ordable Care Act andrnits affi rmation by the Supreme Court of the United States will allow the utility of PM to continue in the US. Finally, in order torneducate future physicians the advent of PM is infl uencing medical education with the development of sub- specialties in PMrnby a growing number of medical schools in the United States. Th e transition to PM is proceeding even as experts continue torndebate whether does this new information actually improve health care?
Keynote Forum
Ananda S Prasad
Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
Keynote: Zinc deficiency
Time : 10:15-10:40
Biography:
Ananda S Prasad has been at Wayne State University since 1963 when he took a position as Director of the Division of Hematology, a post he held until 1984rnwhen he became the Director of the Division of Research. He has also been a Professor of Medicine at Wayne from 1968 until the present. He was appointed asrnDistinguished Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology in 2000. He is author of twelve books and over three hundred scientifi c articles. He hasrnreceived many awards, which include Medal of Honor from the Mayor of Lyon, France, Honorary Doctorate from Claude Bernard University, France, election asrncorresponding member of The European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and American College of Physicians’ (ACP) highest award for outstandingrnwork in science as related to Medicine. In 2010, he received the prestigious Mahidol Award from Royal Highness King of Thailand for his discovery of zinc as anrnessential element for human health. In 2011, he received a Congressional Commendation for his lifelong studies involving zinc as an element essential for humanrnsurvival. In May of 2012, he received The Lawrence M. Weiner Award, honoring outstanding contributions of non-alumni to the School of Medicine through thernexceptional performance of his research at Wayne State University. Most recently, The American College of Nutrition will honor him as a distinguished Professor ofrnInternal Medicine, with its 2014 Alexander and Mildred Seelig Magnesium Award
Abstract:
Essentiality of zinc for humans and its defi ciency was recognized in 1963. During the past 50 years, it has become apparentrnthat defi ciency of zinc in humans is prevalent. Nutritional defi ciency of zinc may aff ect nearly 2 billion subjects in therndeveloping world. Consumption of cereal proteins high in phytate decreases the availability of zinc for absorption. Conditionedrndefi ciency of zinc is also very common. Growth retardation, hypogonadism in males, rough skin, impaired immunity, neurosensoryrndisorder and cognitive impairment are some of the clinical manifestations of zinc defi ciency. Zinc is involved in manyrnbiochemical functions. Over 300 enzymes require zinc for their activation and nearly 2000 transcription factors require zinc forrngene expression. Zinc is essential for cell mediated immunity. Zinc is a second messenger of immune cells and intracellular zincrnin these cells participate in signaling events. Zinc is also an eff ective antioxidant and anti-infl ammatory agent. In therapeuticrndosages, zinc has been used for the treatment of acute diarrhea in infants and children, common cold, Wilson’s disease, sicklerncell disease and for prevention of blindness in patients with age related macular degeneration
Keynote Forum
Anatoly V Skalny
Trace Element Institute for UNESCO, France
Keynote: Personalized approach to correction of bioelement imbalances
Time : 10:55-11:20
Biography:
Anatoly V. Skalny has completed his PhD at the age of 28 years from All-Union Centre for Narcology, Moscow, USSR. He is a vice-president of Trace ElementrnInstitute for UNESCO, the chairman of Russian Society of Trace Elements in Medicine, a member of advisory board of Federation of European Societies on TracernElements and Minerals (FESTEM). He has published more than 200 journal articles, abstracts and book chapters in English. Prof. Skalny is a member of editorialrnboard of Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, the leading journal in the fi eld of trace elements science
Abstract:
Analysis of a bioelement profile or its components (trace element status analysis) may provide essential information metabolism of the human organism and help to correct a complex of metabolic disturbances. At the same time, therernare not strict limits of “norm” for element content in the human organism in general and biosamples in particular. Th erefore,rnwhen analyzing element status of the human being one cannot use only categories like “increased” or “decreased”. It is stronglyrnrecommended to estimate the stages of bioelement imbalances. Such stages should be estimated using the exact populationrnliving in the current territory etc. In particular, the fi rst and second stages of imbalances may be indicative of unbalancedrnnutrition and ecology, and desadaptation, respectively. These types of imbalances require only dietary management whereasrndrug treatment may result in adverse health eff ects. Th e third stage of bioelement imbalance may be associated with “predisease”rnand reduction of functional reserves of the organism. Depending on the presence of complaints the correction of bioelementrnstatus of the organism may be performed using dietary supplements (in the absence of complaints) or through prescriptionrnof medicines (presence of non-specifi c complaints). Th e fourth stage of bioelement dysbalanceis characterized by diseasernmanifestation and requires only pharmacotherapy. Th erefore, such personalized approach helps to increase the effi ciency ofrntreatment and avoid possible side-effects of medications. We have successfully used this approach for 25 in health managementrn of sportsmen, persons of extreme and dangerous professions, and clinical medicine (chlid neurology, endocrinology, etc.).
Keynote Forum
Constantin Polychronakos
The Research Institute of the McGill Health Centre, Canada
Keynote: Personalised medicine in autoimmune disease: Type 1 diabetes as a paradigm
Time : 11:20-11:45
Biography:
Constantin Polychronakos studied Medicine at the Aristotelian University in Greece, following which he moved to Canada and trained in Pediatric Endocrinology,rnfollowed by a research fellowship at the Polypeptide Hormone Laboratory at McGill University in Montreal. Since 1983 he is on faculty at McGill Universityrn(Full Professor since 2000). For the past three decades, his research is focused on the genetics and immunology of diabetes. He has played a central rolern(corresponding author) in the fi rst GWAS for type 2 and one of the fi rst two for type-1 diabetes. He has also done seminal work on the role of thymus in the immunernself-tolerance to tissue-specifi c antigens like insulin and in one of the fi rst uses of exon capture+NGS, he discovered RFX6 as the gene whose mutations abrogaternthe development of the endocrine pancreas
Abstract:
Recent advances in genome-wide association studies have generated hopes of better understanding of pathogenic processesrnof disease and more importantly, how it varies among diff erent individuals to explain responders vs. non-responders andrnuse this information to individualise therapeutics. However, germ line genetics have yielded variants of typically very smallrneff ect sizes (outside HLA), which, to date; have failed to convincingly predict response to various interventions. Autoimmunityrnis a special case because it is due to unchecked proliferation of a relatively small number of lymphocyte clones and morernimportantly, these clones can be distinguished from the rest of lymphocytes of the same type because they carry T-cell receptorsrnthat specifically recognise antigen. Moreover, these cells behave aberrantly for some reason that should be sought in their clonalrngenome and epigenome and is not necessarily present in the epigenome of the rest of the lymphocytes. I will present work onrnT-cells specifi cally isolated from the blood of children newly diagnosed with type-1 diabetes to highlight specifi c properties ofrnthe TCR rearrangements and the rest of the auto-reactive T-cell genome.
- Track 1: Current Focus on Personalized Medicine
Track 2: Clinical Aspects of Personalized Medicine in Human and Animal models
Track 3: Personalized Medicine
Track 6: Application of Nanotechnology in Personalized Medicine
Location: Melia Meeting 1-2
Chair
Vincent S Gallicchio
Clemson University, USA
Co-Chair
Constantin Polychronakos
McGill University, Canada
Session Introduction
Jang-Ung Park
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea
Title: Fabrication of fl exible, transparent, and skin-attachable fi eld-effect transistor (FET) sensors based on graphene-silver nanowires
Time : 11:45-12:10
Biography:
Jang-Ung Park achieved his Ph.D from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 2009. After that, he went on to work as Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University. He is now an Associate Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology). His current research is focused on wearable electronics
Abstract:
Flexible and transparent conductive materials have been vigorously investigated as the next-generation electrodes to cover the disadvantages of conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) such as poor mechanical robustness on fl exible substrates. A variety of materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, metal nanowires and conducting polymers have been appliedto fl exible electrodes in transparent electronics. Especially, graphene-silver nanowires (AgNWs) hybrid structures have been considerably researched due to their high transparency and conductivity.Also, graphene and AgNWs hybrid fi lmscouldprevent the oxidation of AgNWs and complement relatively high sheet resistance of graphene. In this talk, we present the fabricationof fl exible and transparent electronic devices, including fi eld eff ect transistor (FET) sensors, using graphene-AgNW hybrid fi lms as electrodes. These transistors show relatively high mobility (~3000 cm2V-1s-1) because of the low graphene-AgNW contact resistance (~0.3 kΩ·μm). In addition, the devices could be directly integratedon very thin andfl exible substrates as well as human skin, exhibiting their versatility and bio-compatibility. Furthermore, we demonstrate the real-time wireless nanosensors for monitoring the materials operating at radio frequency (~-30 dB at the center frequency of 4.4 GHz) without power consumption. Th is device can be used as ultrasensitive mannan-binding lectin (MBL, Concanavalin A) sensors. Fabrication of fl exible, transparent transistors using the hybrid electrodes demonstrates the substantial promise of future electronics
Adrián LLerena
RIBEF Ibero-Latinoamerican Network of Pharmacogenetics, Spain
Title: CEIBA-MESTIFAR PROJECT: Population pharmacogenetics in Hispanic populations
Time : 12:10-12:35
Biography:
A.LLerena has completed his Ph.D in 1988, and postdoctoral studies from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the director of a University Hospital Clinical Research Center, member of the Spanish Network for Clinical Research SCREN. He has published more than 154 papers (indexed) in reputed journals and serving as an editorial board member of reputated Journals, is Editor in Chief of Drug Metabolism and Personalized Therapeutics (De Gruyter), Current Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine (Bentham) and Associate Editor of the Pharmacogenomics Journal (Nature).
Abstract:
The Iberian American Network of Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics (RIBEF) was created with the aim of promoting collaborative pharmacogenetic research in Iberoamerica. Latinoamericans are diverse according to their genetic composition resulting from the inter-ethnic crosses between Amerindians, Europeans and Africans. The genetic polymorphism of the most studied CYPs are among the major determinants of the interindividual and interethnic variability of pharmacokinetics and drug response. \\\"Poor metabolizers\\\" (PM), and \\\"extensive metabolizers\\\" (EM) including a group of Ultra-rapid Metabolizers (UMs) have been described for CYP2D6 and CYP2C19, and “slow metabolizers” (SMs) have been described for CYP2C9, Therefore the CEIBA-RIBEF Network Consortium (European Ibero-American for Population Pharmacogenetics) aimed to evaluate the most relevant CYPs genetic polymorphism (CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19) in Hispanics from Ibero-America. An standardized protocol for genetic analyse has been developed. To date the CYP2D6-2C9-2C19 genetic polymorphism have been studied in 6013 healthy volunteers from North (n=756), Central (n=250) and South Mexico (n=545), Cuba (n=713), Nicaragua (n=133), Costa-Rica (n=458), Colombia (n=294), Ecuador (n=401), Brazil (n=98), Peru (n=286), Argentina (n=426), Chile (n=285), Uruguay (n=32), Portugal (n=458) and Spain (n=878). The frequency of CYP2D6 PMs and UMs in Spain is 7-10% and 4.9%, respectively (Llerena et al., 2009). Differences have been found across Hispanics: the frequency of CYP2D6 PMs ranged from 0% (some groups from Mexico and Peru) to 10% (Amerindians from Costa Rica) and for UMs from 0% (some groups from Mexico and Peru) to 20% (some Amerindian groups from Mexico). For CYP2C19, the frequency of PMs varied from 0 (some groups from Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Nicaragua) to 3.46% (Admixed from Cuba), and for UMs from 0 (some groups from Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru) to 39.29% (Admixed from Brazil). The frequency of CYP2C9 SMs ranged from 0-0.85%. Present data shows a large variability on CYPs polymorphism across Hispanics. The pharmacogenetics of CYP2D6, CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 may be a useful tool to predict unexpected side-effects, interactions, or therapeutic failures of many relevant drugs and may explain the interethnic differences observed the response to several drugs. Financial Support: Government of Extremadura-AEXCID (13/A001) MESTIFAR to the RIBEF Network IberoAmerican Society of Pharmacogenetics SIFF (www.ribef.com).
Cecilia Gelfi
University of Milan, Italy
Title: Towards personalized therapy of IBD: Identification of specific serum and lipid profile for responders versus non-responders to anti-TNF treatment by Maldi mass
Time : 12:35-13:00
Biography:
Cecilia Gelfi is a Associate Professor of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Milan. The scientifi c activity of Cecilia Gelfi has been focused on: the development of methodologies for the separation and identification of biomolecules. She contributed to the development of electrophoretic techniques transforming them into a physico-chemical tool for probing the structure and conformation of macromolecules; the investigation of the functional and morphological changes occurring in muscle in a number of physiological and pathological states. Recently, the interest have been focused on development of 1) clinical methods for monitoring drugs; 2) protocols for serological profi les for the clinical diagnosis of pancreatic and prostate cancer and infl ammatry bowel disease; 3) MALDI imaging methodologies for monitoring nano particles; 4) HPTLC-MALDI methodologies for recognition and quantitation of gangliosides and globosides in tissue extracts. Cecilia Gelfi published 213 scientifi c articles on international peer-reviewed journals (Scopus h-index 2015: 37)
Abstract:
Infl ammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic and relapsing infl ammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract and comprise Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Both CD and UC are characterized by a great extent of heterogeneity, in terms of phenotypic presentation and response to diff erent therapies; in fact, whereas some patients present limited bowel involvement and a very mild course of disease, others develop very extensive, aggressive disease, displaying extra intestinal manifestations as well. On the same line, the effi cacy of diff erent therapeutic strategies is extremely variable from patient to patient. As such, a subset of IBD may require the use of biological drugs targeting TNF, which is a key mediator in IBD inflammatory response; however, up to 10- 20% of patients do not respond to anti-TNF agents. Th us, studies to defi ne subgroups of patients with UC and CD who may benefi t from TNF-blockade are needed. To this purpose, a study based on serum and lipid profi ling of patients aff ected by UC and CD has been performed utilizing MALDI mass spectrometry profi ling to identify specifi c markers of therapeutic response. Th e study was conducted on UC and CD patients of both genders andpatients were followed up to the fourth infusionin order to evaluate response to anti-TNF antibody treatment. Results indicated a diff erence in serum profiling between men and women aft er treatment. Th e analysis of UC responders and non-responders to anti-TNF treatment revealed the presence of 43 peaks, so called best separators between cohorts. Concerning CD, MALDI profi les indicated signifi cant statistical diff erence in 48 peaks. Comparing UC and CD, the presence of peaks (29 for men, 15 for women) characteristics of the disease was determined. Th e identifi cation of peaks is in progress and will determine target molecules contributing to clarify the physio pathological mechanisms associated to anti-TNF response. Nevertheless, the serological profi le provided by this study will contribute to select the right candidates to anti-TNF treatment
Iris Lavon
Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Israel
Title: Does quantifi cation of hypoxia mediated miRNAs in the circulation of patients with high grade gliomas refl ect the anti-angiogenic effect of bevacizumab?
Time : 14:00-14:25
Biography:
Iris Lavon is the Head of the Molecular Neuro-Oncology Laboratory in the Departments of Neurology and Oncology at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center. She completed her PhD in 1999. The main research interests of her lab are in the fi eld of molecular characteristics of brain tumors and personalized medicine for patients with brain tumors and neurodegenerative diseases. The results of her studies have been published in 28 scientifi c papers. Several of her fi ndings have been patented and were shown to have clinical applications in terms of potential implementation in the development of new therapeutic approaches
Abstract:
Identifi cation of tumor-specifi c circulating miRNAs may off er biomarkers to evaluate prognosis and response to therapy in patients with the incurable tumor Glioblastoma (GBM). Th e salvage therapy for recurrent GBM who have failed the standard-of-care of radiation and temozolomide chemotherapy, is bevacizumab, a recombinant human monoclonal anti-VEGF antibody. We previously demonstrated that among others, four of the hypoxia-mediated-miRNAs (miR-210, miR-21, miR-10b and miR-196b), are upregulated in gliomas as compared to normal brain. We hypothesized that the expression of these miRNAs will be altered in response to hypoxia following treatment with anti-angiogenic drug and might serve as circulating biomarkers to the drug effi ciency. Th us we aimed to develop a strategy for a rapid, sensitive and noninvasive technique for monitoring anti-angiogenic therapy dynamics by analysis of circulating tumor-specifi c microRNAs. For that purpose the expression these miRNAs were evaluated by real-time-RTPCR from circulating RNA that was collected longitudinally from 15 patients with GBM treated with bevacizumab. Radiographic evaluation was based on measurable changes in tumor dimensions using MRI by fl uid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and contrast enhanced T1-weighted images. Th e quantifi cation of miR-10b and miR-21 were signifi cantly negatively correlated to MRI measurements, especially to sum product contrast diameter (R=0.51/p=0.002; R=0.568/p<0.0001 respectively). Th ere was even higher correlation between the quantifi cation of both miRNA and the contrast measurements than the correlation of each of them separately ((R=-0.648/ p<0.0001). Th is non-invasive procedure may lead to the routine use of circulating micro-RNA as a strategy for a rapid, sensitive and noninvasive technique for monitoring anti-angiogenic therapy dynamics
Sangeeta Shukla
Vice Chancellor Jiwaji University, India
Title: Phyto-therapy and hepato-protection: Transition of tradition to technology
Time : 14:25-14:50
Biography:
Sangeeta Shukla is Vice Chancellor of Jiwaji University. She has wide experience of research in the fi eld of Reproductive Biology, Biochemical Pharmacology and Environmental Toxicology. She has been awarded fellowship from Welcome Trust, Indo-French Government Fellowship UK and many others. She has published 105 papers in SCI journals good citation indices. She has also edited book and contributed chapters in books. In recognition of her efforts, she held international positions as Vice President for Asian Continent of International Centers for Trace Element Study for UNESCO, France including Council Member of ISTERH. She has completed ten major research projects and supervised 18 PhD thesis and many dissertations of MPhil and MSc students
Abstract:
Liver disease including hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer is the leading cause of death. Approximately 25,000 Americans die per year from chronic liver disease and more than 300,000 people are hospitalized per year due to cirrhosis. Th e harmful use of alcohol results in 2.5 million deaths worldwide per year. Excessive alcohol consumption is a major cause of preventable premature death, accounting for 1.4% of all deaths registered in England and Wales in 2012. Th us to create new herbal-based therapeutic approaches that are targeting the liver has been explored. Th is aims to develop effective drugs that can stimulate hepatic function or helps to regenerate hepatic cells. Artmisia absinthium, Rosa damascena, Butea monosperma, Nigella sativa, Rewand chini, Polygonum bistorta and polyherbal formulations were investigated against toxicants (CCl4, acetaminophen, alcohol, galactosamine, anti-tubercular drugs like isoniazid, rifampicin etc.) Research has also shown that herbals enhance the detoxifi cation rate of toxicants by reducing the oxidative stress/associated with drug metabolizing system, protected DNA from oxidative damage and reversed the level of hepatic markers. Choleretic activity, hexobarbitone-induced sleep time and plasma bromosulphalein retention also improved liver functions aft er herbal therapy. Th e histopathological observations revealed that cellular and ultra-structural pathological changes were reversed by mitigating of toxicant metabolic eff ects indicating improve hepatic morphology and physiological functions. Th e data suggests that herbals have an efficient protective mechanism against hepato toxicants. Statistical analysis of these herbal agents showed signifi cant hepato-protective index. Th us, it can be concluded that these herbal agents may be considered as a good hepatoprotective agent by medical practitioners for liver ailments
Vincent Gallicchio
Clemson University, USA
Title: The use of metal ions in personalized medicine for human diseases
Time : 14:50-15:15
Biography:
Vincent S Gallicchio is Professor of Biological Sciences, Public Health and Microbiology at Clemson University. He is the Vice President of the Trace Element Research Centers operating under UNESCO and the immediate Past-President of the International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed scientifi c articles, book chapters and textbooks. He is the Inventor on eleven US and one international patent focused on drug delivery. He has received more than $22 million in research funding. In 2003 he was presented to her majesty Queen Elizabeth of England for his efforts promoting higher education opportunities for British students
Abstract:
Trace elements possess important therapeutic properties. First, binding to specifi c macromolecules (enzymes, nucleic acids, etc.) they infl uence important chemical and biological processes; second, they interact amongst themselves synergistically to amplify their individual reactions. Metals have been used therapeutically for hundreds of years. Use of metals in the treatment of human diseases began with discoveries with gold used initially in patients with tuberculosis followed by rheumatoid arthritis. Gold identifi ed an immunological pathogenesis in the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis, thus metals may be effi cacious in other human conditions that are immunological in etiology. Th e antineoplastic potential of metals was further disseminated by the development of less toxic compounds such as platinum. Th ird, metals in human cancers have increased their therapeutic eff ectiveness and increased the diversity of cancers responding to these treatments. Fourth, lithium use in clinical medicine revolutionized treating psychiatric mood disorders. Central to the biological action of lithium is its ability to infl uence brain and central nervous system chemistry, thereby providing spectacular results in the treatment of aff ective and other psychiatric mood disorders, in particular, suicide prevention. Discoveries defi ning alternative nonâ€psychiatric clinical use of lithium continue to intrigue clinical medicine based upon a key discovery demonstrating lithium can eff ectively infl uence stem cells. Halo-therapy is using salt compounds as initial and maintenance therapy of human respiratory ailments. Used by the Greeks and Romans, halo-therapy has existed for thousands of years. It is associated with the therapeutic eff ectiveness attributed to spas. Today, halo-therapy has gained resurgence with its use as personalized medicine in the treatment of human diseases
Kenney-Herbert Emma
Cambridge University, UK
Title: Does CD15 expression identify a phenotypically or genetically distinct glioblastoma population and possible therapeutic target?
Time : 15:15-15:40
Biography:
Kenney-Herbert Emma completed her PhD from Cambridge University, UK. She graduated in Entry Medicine at Imperial College London and qualifi ed in 2014. She is now working as a Junior Doctor at The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London. She plans to forge a career as an Oncologist and continue to play an active role in research
Abstract:
The prognosis for patients with glioblastoma (GB) remains poor. Recent research has focused on the hypothesis that the growth and regeneration of GB is sustained by a sub-population of self-renewing stem-like cells. Th is has led to the prediction that molecular markers for cancer stem cells in GB may provide a treatment target. One candidate marker is CD15; we wanted to determine if CD15 represented a credible stem cell marker in GB. We investigated CD15 as a potential marker for treatment in patient GB samples, primary GB cell lines (GBC) and in tumour forming assays in mouse models. We found that the prevalence of CD15+ cells was varied in 10 patient GB tumours and CD15+ cells were less proliferative than their CD15- counterparts. In vitro, CD15 did not confer a proliferative advantage. Furthermore, GBCs sorted for CD15+ and CD15- were not signifi cantly diff erent cytogenetically or in terms of gene expression profile. Sorted single CD15+ and CD15- cells were equally capable of reconstituting a heterogeneous population containing both CD15+ and CD15- cells over time; and both CD15+ and CD15- cells were able to generate tumours in vivo. Our data confi rms that CD15 does not identify a sub-population of cancer stem cells. Instead, detailed single cell analysis suggests that CD15+ cells are a component of the variegated clonal architecture typical of GB. However, we believe there is a role for our experimental models to assist in the fi nding of further GB therapeutic targets
Mohamed Abdulla
Primary care center, Sweden
Title: Diet, microbiome, health and social well-being - Personalized Medicine
Time : 15:55-16:20
Biography:
Mohamed Abdulla has completed his Md-PhD from the University of Lund, Sweden and currently working as professor of medicine for the Swedish medical board. He has published over 300 original publications and several chapters in textbooks. He is currently active in the fi eld of diet and aging
Abstract:
The relationship between the body and diet is a very intimate one compared to all other relations. During the 1960s and 1970s, dietary manipulations, especially caloric restrictions were found to retard aging. Research during the last couple of decades has shown that the number of independent molecules-processors contribute to human aging. Th is includes Metformin, Ratamycin, Resveratroan, Free radicals, hormones and gene modifi cations. Ratamycin and related compounds such as Everolimus and Temsirolimus are found to interfere with the activity of a protein called Mammalian Tor (mTor). All these compounds and processors are known to extend the lifespan of a number of experimental animals and postpone age-related disorders such as cardio vascular diseases and cancer. Metformin is a very commonly used drug against diabetes and recent studies in England have shown that it can prolong the lifespan of humans without having diabetes. Free radicals theory of aging has become less specifi c in animals as well as in humans during the last decade. Th ere are a number of genes that are known to interfere with human aging. Manipulation of some of these genes has found to increase human lifespan in some selected areas of the world. Telommeres are the time keepers of a self-life; each time a cell divides the length of the Telommeres is shortened and fi nally it disappears altogether. Many researchers are active at present in order to fi nd ways of keeping Telommeres intact. In young blood cells there is a protein (GD lever) that is abunded one is young and giving the blood from younger mice to older ones to increase the lifespan of the older mice. Th is paper will describe some of the details of the molecule processors involved in the aging process. It will also discuss the importance of microbiome that infl uences health and disease
Ananda S Prasad
Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
Title: Discovery and impact of zinc on health: Bio-markers of zinc defi ciency
Time : 16:20-17:05
Biography:
Ananda S Prasad has been at Wayne State University since 1963 when he took a position as Director of the Division of Hematology, a post he held until 1984 when he became the Director of the Division of Research. He has also been a Professor of Medicine at Wayne from 1968 until the present. He was appointed as Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology in 2000. He is author of twelve books and over three hundred scientifi c articles. He has received many awards, which include Medal of Honor from the Mayor of Lyon, France, Honorary Doctorate from Claude Bernard University, France, election as corresponding member of The European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and American College of Physicians’ (ACP) highest award for outstanding work in science as related to Medicine. In 2010, he received the prestigious Mahidol Award from Royal Highness King of Thailand for his discovery of zinc as an essential element for human health. In 2011, he received a Congressional Commendation for his lifelong studies involving zinc as an element essential for human survival. In May of 2012, he received The Lawrence M. Weiner Award, honoring outstanding contributions of non-alumni to the School of Medicine through the exceptional performance of his research at Wayne State University. Most recently, The American College of Nutrition will honor him as a distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine, with its 2014 Alexander and Mildred Seelig Magnesium Award.
Abstract:
In the Middle East, nearly 50 years ago, we established the essentiality of zinc for human and documented for the fi rst time occurrence of zinc defi ciency in the villages of Iran and Egypt. During the past fi ve decades we have witnessed tremendous advances in both clinical and basic science areas of zinc metabolism. Currently WHO estimates that nearly 2 billion subjects in the developing countries are zinc defi cient and widespread growth retardation, immune dysfunction and cognitive impairment are related to zinc defi ciency.Th erapeutic use of zinc for treatment of acute diarrhea in infants and children in developing countries has saved millions of lives. Zinc is very eff ective in reducing the incidences of blindness in patients with age related macular degeneration (AMD). Zinc is an approved therapy for patients with Wilson’s disease. Zinc administration is eff ective in decreasing the incidences of infection in the elderly, patients with sickle cell disease and head and neck cancer patients. Zinc is a molecular signal for immune and neuronal cells. In our experimental model of human zinc defi ciency we reported that measurement of zinc and ecto 5’ nucleotidase in lymphocytes, are sensitive indicators of zinc defi ciency. Serum active thymulin and generation of Th 1 cytokines, IL-2 and IFN-γ and their mRNAs are most sensitive indicators of acute zinc defi ciency. We have now established a new method of zinc assay in nails and plasma by LIBS (laser induced background spectroscopy) technique which is simple, exportable and cost eff ective and is an excellent indictor of chronic human zinc deficiency.