Current and Future Applications of Biomedical Engineering for Proteomic Profiling: Predictive Biomarkers in Neuro-Traumatology.

Mario Ganau,Marco Paris,Salvatore Chibbaro,Ali Moghaddamjou,Nikolaos Syrmos,Rossano Ambu,Laura Ganau,Andrea Soddu,Gianfranco Ligarotti,Lara Prisco

doi:10.3390/medicines5010019

Abstract

This systematic review aims to summarize the impact of nanotechnology and biomedical engineering in defining clinically meaningful predictive biomarkers in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), a critical worldwide health problem with an estimated 10 billion people affected annually worldwide. Data were collected through a review of the existing English literature performed on Scopus, MEDLINE, MEDLINE in Process, EMBASE, and/or Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Only experimental articles revolving around the management of TBI, in which the role of new devices based on innovative discoveries coming from the field of nanotechnology and biomedical engineering were highlighted, have been included and analyzed in this study. Based on theresults gathered from this research on innovative methods for genomics, epigenomics, and proteomics, their future application in this field seems promising. Despite the outstanding technical challenges of identifying reliable biosignatures for TBI and the mixed nature of studies herein described (single cells proteomics, biofilms, sensors, etc.), the clinical implementation of those discoveries will allow us to gain confidence in the use of advanced neuromonitoring modalities with a potential dramatic improvement in the management of those patients.

Highlights

IntroductionWorld Health Organization (WHO) that by the year 2020, traumatic brain injury (TBI) will surpass many diseases to become the third leading cause of global mortality and disability [3]
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a critical worldwide health problem and, despite remarkable advances in medical and surgical management, its prognosis remains a major challenge of modern healthcare systems [1,2].With an estimated 10 million people affected annually by traumatic brain injury (TBI) worldwide, it is predicted by theWorld Health Organization (WHO) that by the year 2020, TBI will surpass many diseases to become the third leading cause of global mortality and disability [3]
The initial search of the literature yielded to 1939 articles, which were screened in two consecutive rounds by two groups of four experts involved in this study. This triage of the literature led to an initial selection of 32 papers, out of which 16 were excluded due to duplication of the papers identified, or because the articles dealt with the description of a methodology or the description of physiological/pathological pathways but eventually failed to provide a correlation between the identification of a biomarker/biosignature and the related clinical or surgical outcome

Summary

Introduction

World Health Organization (WHO) that by the year 2020, TBI will surpass many diseases to become the third leading cause of global mortality and disability [3]. 5.3 million U.S residents living with TBI-related disabilities; already in 2010, the economic costs resulting from TBI were estimated at $76.5 billion/year, including $11.5 billion for direct medical costs and $64.8 billion for indirect costs (i.e., lost wages, lost productivity, and nonmedical expenditures) [4]. The most common cause for severe TBI is certainly represented by road traffic accidents, falls, and penetrating gunshot injuries; practicing popular sports, such as American football, ice hockey, boxing, martial arts, rugby, and even soccer, horse riding, or parachuting, carries a significant risk of exposure to mild to severe brain trauma [1,5,6].

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