How Nanotechnology and Biomedical Engineering Are Supporting the Identification of Predictive Biomarkers in Neuro-Oncology.

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

doi:10.3390/medicines5010023

Abstract

The field of neuro-oncology is rapidly progressing and internalizing many of the recent discoveries coming from research conducted in basic science laboratories worldwide. This systematic review aims to summarize the impact of nanotechnology and biomedical engineering in defining clinically meaningful predictive biomarkers with a potential application in the management of patients with brain tumors. 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: all available basic science and clinical papers relevant to address the above-stated research question were included and analyzed in this study. Based on the results of this systematic review we can conclude that: (1) the advances in nanotechnology and bioengineering are supporting tremendous efforts in optimizing the methods for genomic, epigenomic and proteomic profiling; (2) a successful translational approach is attempting to identify a growing number of biomarkers, some of which appear to be promising candidates in many areas of neuro-oncology; (3) the designing of Randomized Controlled Trials will be warranted to better define the prognostic value of those biomarkers and biosignatures.

Highlights

In quantitative neuroscience, identifying suitable biomarkers is pivotal to streamlining the clinical screening for early and ultra-early diagnosis of many diseases, including cancers
Given the importance of the latter, in this systematic review we aim to summarize the impact of nanotechnology and biomedical engineering in defining clinically meaningful predictive biomarkers with a potential application in the management of patients with brain tumors
Study Characteristics: Given the research question outlined above, this article focuses on basic sciences and clinical studies that have exploited innovations in nanotechnology or biomedical engineering applied to genomics, epigenomics and proteomics to validate already existing biomarkers and biosignatures, or to identify new ones with the potential to predict clinical and surgical outcomes in patients with brain tumors

Summary

Introduction

In quantitative neuroscience, identifying suitable biomarkers is pivotal to streamlining the clinical screening for early and ultra-early diagnosis of many diseases, including cancers. Biomarkers are quantitative biological signatures of any given physiological state or pathological condition, used in many areas of medicine to estimate the risk of developing specific diseases, the likelihood and rapidity of their progression, as well as the prediction of their outcome [1,2]. Medicines 2018, 5, 23 a composite measure, such as a biosignature, can significantly enhance the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic protocols when compared to that of each measure alone [1,2]. As biomarkers became integrated into drug development, clinical trials and modern medicine, they gained the spotlight, becoming of preponderant importance in the continuous crosstalk between several stakeholders, including scientific and clinical community, multinational pharmacological companies, high-tech biomedical startups, investors, and obviously patients. In early 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

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