View PDF - The Journal of Precision Medicine
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View PDF - The Journal of Precision Medicine
The Complementary Iceberg Tips of Diabetes and Precision Medicine. by D Jack Yensen Ph.D & Stephen Naylor Ph.D iabetes is perceived as a “simple disease” and manifested in the form of inadequate blood glucose regulation. Paradoxically, it is now also recognized as a global, pandemic disease, with ~415 million patients reported to be suffering from diabetes. The disease is projected Introduction 1 There appears to be a chronic lack of confidence in global healthcare systems . Stakeholder expectations have been fueled by repetitive media reports of spectacular advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the major diseases that afflict patients. However, those same patients perceive a lack of delivered value from their healthcare provider. In part this is predicated on the transition of patients into consumers, and their accompanying expectations, particularly in the developed world. Many of these patient complaints involve diagnostic and prognostic inaccuracies, poor treatment efficacies for a specific disease indication, and lack of timely access to patient care. The general dissatisfaction is apparent regardless of the specific healthcare delivery system. The patient could be participating in a single payer, socialized medicine system 2 like the National Health Service of the UK, or a market-driven, predominantly privatized model, such as the patchwork system in the USA . How did we get to such a critical, and, some might argue, dysfunctional point in the practice of medicine? 21 COGNOSCIENTI to impact ~642 million people worldwide by 2040. This appears to be the tip of a diabetic iceberg, since one-in-two adults are actually undiagnosed diabetics, an additional ~318 million people have impaired glucose tolerance, and are usually described as “pre-diabetic,” and 20-25 % of adults have metabolic syndrome. The limitations of modern healthcare have been ascribed as causative agents in the diabetes crisis. The current healthcare system tends to provide a reactive response to patient symptoms, with a subsequent diagnosis and corresponding treatment of the specific disease. More recently a rapid improvement in OMIC analyses, bioinformatics and knowledge management tools, as well as the emergence of big data analytics, and systems biology have led to a better understanding of the profound, dynamic complexity and variability of individuals and human populations as they undertake their daily activities. These developments in conjunction with escalating healthcare costs and relatively poor disease treatment efficacies have fermented a rethink in how we execute current medical practice. This has led to the emergence of “P-Medicine” which includes personalized and precision medicine. P-medicine is still in a fledgling and evolutionary phase and there has been considerable debate over its current status and future trajectory, as well as its ability to affect the runaway crises of pandemic diabetes. Some have argued that as personalized medicine has morphed into precision medicine (PM) we are just realizing the tip of the PM iceberg. In this paper we evaluate such claims and address the impact of PM on the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of diabetes and the complementarity of the diabetic iceberg tip of despair and the PM iceberg tip of potential and hope. The current modus operandi of modern medicine is based on the determination of an individual’s symptoms, along with an associated diagnosis and subsequent response to a specific treatment. These data for the individual are compared to a statistically similar and disease-relevant patient population dataset. There is also a focus on a specific disease indication as it pertains to compartmentalized tissue and/or organs involving, in many cases, a highly specialized clinician. The current healthcare system tends to be reactive, providing treatment post-onset of the disease, with limited efforts focused on prediction and prevention. This reliance on the comparative In a surprising development, a report published by the National Research Council (USA- NRC) in 2011 suggested that much of personalized medicine had been predicated on single, 7 anecdotal stories involving lone individuals . The report suggested that such a premise makes for a weak foundation on which to make a diagnosis, treatment and prognosis recommendation to a patient by a clinician. Another common complaint noted was that the term “personalized medicine” implies the prospect of creating a unique treatment for each personalized/precision medicine, the estimated adult population with diabetes has risen to a staggering ~415 million people in 2015, which represents 8.8% of the global adult population. This appears to be the tip of an iceberg, since one-in-two adults actually have undiagnosed diabetes, and an additional ~318 million people have impaired glucose tolerance, and are frequently described as “pre-diabetic” and individuals with metabolic syndrome have a five-fold enhanced probability of becoming 9 diabetic . Based on the statistics the initial tentative 8 analysis of an individual compared to a defined population tends to neglect and disregard human individuality, complexity and variability. It also fails to recognize the systems level inter- 22 6 can develop targeted treatment and prevention plans” . individual patient . Whilst the actual practitioners conclusion is that to date, the impact of of personalized medicine have not suggested any personalized and precision medicine on diabetes such thing, the premise took hold and fueled has been minimal. Diabetic onset rates have the disappointment and disillusionment with increased significantly. In this work we consider 2 it and the ascendancy of PM . The NRC report the mismatched expectations of personalized/ attempted to define and differentiate PM from precision medicine advocates versus that of the personalized medicine. The report stated that global adult population as the latter struggles “Precision medicine is the tailoring of medical treatment with rampant diabetes. We discuss the concept The current medical system has facilitated the to the individual characteristics of each patient. It does of diabetes as a “simple disease,” and the future escalation of healthcare costs, but has had not literally mean the creation of drugs or medical devices role of PM in the diagnosis and treatment of limited impact on the prediction, prevention, that are unique to a patient, but rather the ability to diabetes. Finally, we consider the complementary accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment of classify individuals into subpopulations that differ in their icebergs of diabetes and PM. We regard the acute and chronic disease. This lack of progress susceptibility to a particular disease, in the biology and/or former as the tip of despair and the latter the in concert with a growing awareness of the prognosis of those diseases they may develop, or in their connectedness of human molecular biology, biochemistry, metabolism and physiology in the 3, 4 form of systems, network and pathway biology . complexity and variability of individual patients as well as our limited understanding of causal mechanisms of most diseases has necessitated a growing need for change. The clamor for innovation led to the emergent growth of 2 “P-Medicine” . The P-Medicine initiatives that have been implemented over the past decade include Personalized, Precision, Preventive, Predictive, Pharmacotherapeutic, Portable and Patient Participatory medicine. Historically, the first roots of the P-Medicine revolution 5 took hold in the early 2000’s . The Personalized Medicine Coalition was founded in 2004. This organization represented the interests of the then fledgling personalized medicine community, and they defined personalized medicine as “... an evolving field in which physicians use diagnostic tests to determine which medical treatments will work best for each patient. By combining the data from those tests with an individual’s medical history, circumstances and values, health care providers tip of hope and potential. 7 response to a specific treatment” . Diabetes - the Simple Disease? P-medicine in the form of personalized and Diabetes is ostensibly a simple and well precision medicine is ~twelve years old, and characterized disease state continues to be accompanied by enormous diabetes manifests elevated blood glucose levels. hope, hype, enthusiasm and expectation. This is primarily caused either by the individual’s Therefore, it is useful to evaluate the impact of body not producing enough insulin or because personalized/precision medicine on a specific at the cell/tissue/organ level insulin transport of disease indication such as diabetes. Diabetes glucose is compromised. The resulting chronic is often described and perceived as a “simple hyperglycemia can result in systemic damage 9 9-13 . An individual with disease” of mis-regulated blood glucose . One to the body leading to possible disability and might assume that armed with the powerful life-threatening complications. In 2015 it was new personalized/precision medicine toolkit estimated that ~5 million people worldwide of OMIC analytics, and -TIC bioinformatics/ died because of diabetes and the global cost knowledge management/big data analytics, such was “between $673 billion and $1.197 trillion a “simple disease” should be both preventable in healthcare spending.” It is also important to and curable! In 2003, the global estimate for consider that for such a “simple disease,” most adults (20-79 years of age) suffering from countries spend 5-20% of their total annual diabetes was ~194 million, constituting 5.1% healthcare expenditures on the diagnosis, of the worldwide adult population . However, treatment and care of diabetic patients . 10 in the intervening twelve year life-span of 9 Diabetic Types Diabetes manifests ultimately as elevated blood glucose levels with concomitant excessive thirst, frequent urination and blurred vision. However, causal onset can be due to a number of factors and this has resulted in the definition of three main types of diabetes as summarized in Figure 1. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) - afflicts 4.73% of the population and is caused by a poorly under9 stood auto-immune response of the body . This results in damage to the beta cells of the pancreas, which are responsible for the body’s insulin production. The disease is diagnosed in individuals of all age groups, but predominantly affects children or young adults, and was previously known as “juvenile diabetes.” Figure 1: Global prevalence of Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes (T2D) - this is the most common Type 2 diabetes and Gestational diabetes. Data type of diabetes occurring in 93.5% of all derived from IDF Diabetes Atlas9. On the right hand side 23 is the estimated number of subtypes for Type 1 and Type 2 9 estimated cases of adults . Causal onset is diabetes. Gestational diabetes data delineates the percentage of women post partum that develops Type1 risk factors include physical inactivity, poor versus Type 2 diabetes or resolves the hyperglycemia. nutrition and excessive body weight in the form of adipose tissue. This type of diabetes often goes unrecognized and it is estimated that 9 one-in-two people are actually undiagnosed . According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes should be diagnosed if fasting plasma glucose (fpg) is >126mg/dL, or two-hour plasma glucose (2-hpg) is > > 200mg/dL following 14 a 75gram bolus of glucose . Pre-diabetic conditions – a normal, healthy Metabolic syndrome – is the current term used for individual has an fpg level within a 70-100 mg/ a group of risk factors that considerably raise dL range. However, individuals with elevated the risk for developing T2D, as well as heart fpg levels of 100-126 mg/dL plus a 2-hpg of disease and stroke. In order for a patient to be <140-200 mg/dL are diagnosed with Impaired diagnosed with metabolic syndrome he/she Glucose Tolerance (IGT). Similarly, patients must have at least three of the following five with an fpg of 110-125 mg/dL and 2-hpg of risk factors . <140 mg/dL are classified as Impaired Fasting 14 Glucose (IFG) individuals . The fundamental 18 l Abdominal obesity (35 inch waist for women and 40 inch waist for men) Gestational diabetes (GD) – an elevated blood difference is that IGT is defined as a high glucose level detected in a pregnant mother blood glucose level after eating; whereas IFG is classified as either i) gestational diabetes is defined as high blood glucose after a period mellitus where fpg levels are 92-125mg/dL; or ii) of fasting. People with IGT face a significant diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, where fpg levels probability of developing diabetes. Approxi- are >126mg/dL. The number of expectant mately 5-10% of such individuals become mothers who are diagnosed with gestational diabetic on an annual basis and overall, up to diabetes is relatively small representing only 70% will eventually develop diabetes . 1.52% of the diabetic population. Gestational However, this trajectory is not inevitable, It is estimated that 20-25% of the global adult diabetes normally disappears after birth (60%), and there are numerous reports that lifestyle population has metabolic syndrome and 85% but some women can develop T2D (36%), or change in the form of healthy diet and physical of Type 2 diabetics also have metabolic less commonly T1D (4%) as highlighted in Figure exercise and/or medication can prevent the syndrome. Conversely, individuals with 1. It is interesting to note that babies born to progression to diabetes . 16 17 l Elevated blood triglyceride levels (>>150 mg/dL) l Low HDL cholesterol (<<40 mg/dL - women and < < 50 mg/dL - men) l High blood pressure (>>130/85 mm of mercury) l High fasting blood sugar (>>100mg/dL) metabolic syndrome have a fivefold enhanced 18 mothers, who develop post-partum T2D, also probability of developing T2D . This is yet have a higher probability of developing T2D another significant component of the diabetic 15 themselves . iceberg scenario! COGNOSCIENTI predominantly due to lifestyle choices, and 9 Diabetes Pandemic last year . The WHO added that, high blood 2003, 2015 and projections for 2040 taken from In 1994 the International Diabetes Federation glucose is the third highest global risk factor the 2nd and 7th IDF Diabetes Atlas reports (IDF) estimated that the “global burden” of for premature mortality, after high blood The IDF noted that in 2015 ~415 million people individual adults with diabetes” was ~100 pressure and tobacco use . million adults, constituting ~2.9% of the world The escalating pandemic of diabetes appears 19 adult population . The diabetic population had increased to ~194 million (5.1%) adults by 10 2003 , and up again to ~415 million (8.8%) 9 individuals by 2015 . Over that same ~20 year period conventional medicine had also been confronted with the advent of personalized/ 5 precision medicine (2001-2003) . The latter developed under a cloud of scrutiny and the withering refrain “personalized medicine technological innovation and patient 5 empowerment or exuberant hyperbole”? To date based on the data showing an approximate doubling of diabetic adults every 10 years both 24 20 conventional medicine and personalized/ precision medicine have failed to limit the impact of this “simple disease.” Indeed, the IDF to continue unabated. The IDF has noted and tabulated this phenomenon by continuously gathering data from 220 countries/territories around the globe. In addition, they have described the global presence of diabetes by grouping the world into seven IDF regions: Africa (AFR), Europe (EUR), Middle East and North Africa (MENA), North America and Caribbean (NAC), South and Central America (SACA), South-East Asia (SEA) and Western 9,10 Pacific/China (WPC) . We have utilized the data published by the IDF in their annual reports and attempted to capture the enormity of the global diabetes pandemic and this is highlighted in Figure 2. described diabetes as “one of the largest global This is a composite figure that shows regional health emergencies of the 21st century” in their estimates for diabetes for the specific years report published 9,10 . worldwide or 8.8% of adults aged 20-79, were estimated to have diabetes, and that ~75% live in low- and middle-income countries. They went on to state that if these trends continue, by 2040 one adult in ten, will have diabetes. The largest increases will take place in the regions where economies are moving from 9 low-income to middle-income levels . Worryingly enough, this is already reflected in the current statistics for 2015, where 7 of the top 10 countries/territories for adults with diabetes were developing economies. They are in descending order China (109 million, ranked 1st); India (69.2 million, 2nd); Brazil (14.3 million, 4th); Mexico (11.5 million, 6th); Indonesia (10.0 million, 7th); Egypt (7.8 9 million, 8th); and Bangladesh (7.1 million, 10th) . The data showing the global incidence of diabetes and the projections for 2040 in Figure 2 are ominous. However, we have noted above Figure 2: Global estimates of the number of adults (20-79 years old) with Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational diabetes. The estimates are delineated by regions as defined by the IDF and are Africa (AFR), Europe (EUR), Middle East and North Africa (MENA), North America and Caribbean (NAC), South and Central America (SACA), South-East Asia (SEA) and Western Pacific/China (WPC). Note for each region the top number is for the year 2003, the middle number is for 2015 and the bottom number is a projected estimate for 2040, as shown in the black world bubble at the bottom of the figure. All data were derived from either the 2nd or 7th IDF Diabetes Atlas editions,9,10.This composite figure was Adapted with Permission from the International Diabetes Federation in Brussels, Belgium. that this is the tip of the diabetic iceberg. cardiovascular disease, but also, in many cases 21 afflicted, representing 13.9% of the adult It was estimated that in 2015 as many as remains undetected . In addition, people with population. Another disturbing facet of the one-in-two adults were unaware of their IGT have a 70% probability of developing data was that approximately half of adults with 16 diabetic condition and this constitutes ~193 diabetes , and the condition is still popularly IGT were under the age of 50 (~159 million), million potential patients. The vast majority referred to as “pre-diabetes.” In 2003, it was reversing the temporal trend observed for T2D, of these cases are Type 2 diabetics, and globally estimated that ~314 million people worldwide, where onset is more likely to occur after 50 ~80% of them live in low-to middle income 9 developing economies . Whilst a person (8.2%) of adults in the age group 20-79 years years of age. In addition, the IDF noted that of age, had IGT . Ominously the developing “it is important to note that nearly one-third with T2D can live quiescently for a protracted economies of the SEA region had the highest (29.8%) of all those who currently have IGT period of time, the elevated blood glucose is number of people with IGT at ~93 million [2015] are in the 20 to 39 age group and are silently causing extensive and systemic damage people as well as the highest prevalence rate therefore likely to spend many years at high to the body. The consequences of this non- of 13.2%. The WPC region that includes China risk” . By 2040, the number of people with diagnosis add considerably to future individual was the next highest with an estimated ~78 IGT is projected to increase to ~482 million, human suffering as well as contribute to million IGT patients representing 5.7% of the or 7.8% of the adult population . Much of this escalating healthcare costs. population . By 2015, some ~318 million people data is summarized in Figure 3 and represents A different and equally problematic situation is the staggering number of adults estimated to 10 9 10 worldwide, representing 6.7% of adults, were a global pictogram of the estimated IGT adult estimated to have IGT. populations dating from the period 2003-2040. have IGT. Not surprisingly, individuals that have The socioeconomic trend has continued and IGT share many of the same characteristics as 9 the vast majority (69.2%) of those people lived Type 2 diabetics. IGT afflicts adults of advancing in low- and middle-income countries. However, in an interesting reversal of trends the NAC regulatory problems. The disease has been region was observed to have the highest identified as a significant risk-factor for prevalence of IGT with ~51.8 million adults incidence of IGT, and manifestation in younger adults combined with the growing envelopment of metabolic syndrome represents the hidden underbody of the diabetic iceberg, and must be a cause of concern for all of us. Figure 3: Global estimates of adults (20-79 years old) with Impaired Glucose Tolerance. The estimates represent the same seven regions described in Figure 2, and the three different estimates per region represent 2003, 2015 and 2040. All data were derived from either the 2nd or 7th IDF Diabetes Atlas editions,9,10.This composite figure was Adapted with Permission from the International Diabetes Federation in Brussels, Belgium. 25 COGNOSCIENTI age, who are overweight and possess insulin The combination of undiagnosed diabetes, the Cerebrovascular Disease (Brain & Cerebral Circulation) Retinopathy (Eyes) Gingivitis (Oral Health) Coronary Heart Disease (Heart & Coronary Circulation) 38 30 Nephropathy (Kidney) Pregnancy Complications Peripheral Neuropathy (Nervous System) Peripheral Vascular Disease (Lower Limbs) 26 Peripheral Vascular/Neuropathy (Diabetic Foot) Figure 4: Secondary complications resulting from chronic elevated blood glucose levels and untreated diabetes. Diabetic Complications Neuropathy – this can lead to systemic malfunction tissue. This complex series of interactions is The regulation of blood glucose levels is throughout the body leading to problems with summarized in Figure 5. In the case of diabetes, rigorously controlled in a healthy individual. urination, digestion, and erectile dysfunction we have noted above it is perceived as a “simple However, when the process goes awry, the in men. In particular, peripheral neuropathy disease” involving dysregulation of blood immediate consequence of elevated blood of the feet leads to infection, ulceration, and glucose levels. In reality it is more appropriate glucose appears to be somewhat inconsequential. “diabetic foot” which can result in extreme to consider the disease as a heterogeneous Unfortunately, if this condition is left untreated cases to amputation. amalgam of syndromes, where causal onset and it can lead to life-threatening secondary diseases affecting eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves and the 11-13 peripheral circulatory system . Long term sufferers of diabetes can be afflicted with: Gingivitis – leads to a variety of oral health inflammation issues and increased risk of tooth loss and cardiovascular problems. progression are still poorly understood. The disease is ultimately characterized by elevated blood glucose caused by a relative or absolute 11-13 deficiency of the hormone insulin . Sleep Apnea – it is estimated that ~40% of individuals with sleep apnea also have diabetes. The causal onset of diabetes is different for resulting in blurred vision and ultimately Such a simple elevation of blood glucose leads ultimately an absolute deficiency of insulin. blindness. to systemic, serious and often times life-threat- This is caused by a poorly understood autoening complications for patients with diabetes. immune response resulting in damage to the Retinopathy – the network of blood vessels to the retina of your eye can become blocked Cardiovascular Disease – is the most common cause of death for individuals suffering from T1D versus T2D. In the case of T1D there is This is all captured and summarized in Figure 4. beta cells of the pancreas. Over a period of years, depletion of the beta cell population angina, myocardial infarction and peripheral Diabetes – Carbohydrates and Lipids Intertwined occurs and when this reaches ~80-90% then artery disease. The regulation of blood glucose in a healthy individual. At this point the pancreas fails to diabetes. This includes congestive heart failure, Nephropathy – caused by damage to the blood vessels in the kidney leading to impairment and loss of function. individual involves the complex interplay of the hormones insulin and glucagon, as well as glucose. The primary tissue/organs involved are the pancreas, liver, skeletal muscle and adipose symptoms of diabetes begin to manifest in the respond to the ingestion of glucose, negligible amounts of insulin are produced, and this leads to elevation of blood glucose. If the patient does not receive exogenous insulin, death can presence of a functional pancreas compensates 11-13 occur due to ketoacidosis . by producing increased levels of insulin. Type 2 diabetes actually develops in insulin Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of resistant patients when beta cell function the disease (see Figure 1) and is associated with becomes impaired. imperceptible onset and poor diagnostic rates. Manifestation of T2D can occur through insulin The cause of insulin resistance is also controver- resistance and/or dysfunctional beta cells sial. However, compelling arguments have been 11-13 of the pancreas . In the case of insulin advanced suggesting that fat accumulation is resistance, target tissues such as liver, adipose important to facilitate insulin resistance onset. and muscle inefficiently respond towards This adds a layer of additional complexity since circulating insulin. This is followed by adipose tissue should not simply be regarded as uncontrolled glucose production in the liver an energy store, but also is active in secreting a and decreased uptake of glucose by muscle variety of hormones such as leptin, resistin and and adipose tissue (see Figure 5). A primary adiponectin . Finally, it should be noted that 22 22 cause of insulin resistance is obesity , T2D beta cell dysfunction is also different than although some authors postulate that insulin for T1D. In the former case the pancreas retains resistance causes obesity for many individuals. some beta cell function, but does not secrete However, it is noteworthy that a significant enough insulin to modulate elevated blood percentage of obese individuals with insulin glucose levels. resistance do not become diabetic, since the 27 High Blood Glucose Promotes insulin release GLUCAGON LIVER Glycogen Glucose Stimulates glycogen breakdowns Stimulates glycogen formation PANCREAS INSULIN Stimulates glucose uptake from blood Tissue and Cells (muscle, adipose,others) Lowers Blood Glucose Figure 5: Schematic representation of glucose modulation by the pancreatic hormones insulin and glucagon. (Adapted with permission from the International Diabetes Federation in Brussels, Belgium). Low Blood Glucose Promotes glucagon release COGNOSCIENTI Raises Blood Glucose Elevation of blood glucose levels that occurs as a result of either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes CHO Glycogen Glycogen CHO CHO CHO Intake Glycogen Glycogen Intake Intake Intake Liver Liver Liver Liver results in a slow, tsunami-like cascade effect. The resultant impact is a series of metabolic Glucose Glucose Glucose Glucose changes that occur primarily in the liver, muscle, adipose tissue and the circulatory system. They include: Hyperglycemia – caused by the increased Insulin Insulin Insulin Insulin TG TG TG TG liver production of glucose in concert with diminished use of peripheral circulating glucose. This is driven by the inability of muscle and adipose tissue to take up glucose (see Figure 6). Hypertriacylglycerolemia – after food ingestion not all the fatty acids flooding the liver can be readily disposed of via oxidation. These excess fatty acids are converted to Glucose Glucose Glucose Glucose FA FA FA FA FA FA FA FA Lipolysis Lipolysis Lipolysis Lipolysis Lipolysis Lipolysis Lipolysis Lipolysis Glycogen Glycogen Glycogen Glycogen Adipose Adipose White White Tissue Tissue Adipose Adipose Tissue Tissue Fed Fed Fed Insulin Insulin Insulin Insulin TG TG TG TG TG TG TG TG White White Glycogen Glycogen Glycogen Glycogen Skeletal Skeletal Muscle Muscle Skeletal Skeletal Muscle Muscle Glucose Glucose Glucose Glucose Pancreas Pancreas (B-cells) (B-cells) Pancreas Pancreas (B-cells) (B-cells) Glucose GlucoseTransport Transport Glycogen Glycogen Synthesis Synthesis Glucose Glucose Transport Transport Glycogen Glycogen Synthesis Synthesis triacylglycerol which is then packaged and 28 Glycogen Glycogen Glycogen Glycogen Fasting Fasting Fasting B A secreted as very-low-density-lipoproteins TG TG TG TG ((VLDL). Ultimately this leads to elevated plasma chylomicrons and VLDL levels (Figure 6). CHO CHO CHO CHO Intake Intake Intake Intake Liver Liver TG TG Liver Liver TG TG Insulin levels – these levels are either non-existent (Type 1) or extremely low (Type Glucose Glucose Glucose Glucose 2) which results in glucagon dominating the glucose cycle shown in figure 5. Ketoacidosis – this typically occurs only in Type 1 diabetics. It results from an increased mobilization of fatty acids from adipose tissue, combined with accelerated hepatic synthesis of the two organic acids, 3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate which build up in the circulatory system. TG TG TG TG Glucose Glucose Glucose Glucose Insulin Insulin Insulin Insulin FA FA FA FA Glucose GlucoseTransport Transport Glycogen Glycogen Synthesis Synthesis Glucose Glucose Transport Transport Glycogen Glycogen Synthesis Synthesis IMCL IMCL IMCL IMCL Lipid LipidRe-esterification Re-esterification Lipid Lipid Re-esterification Re-esterification Insulin Insulin Insulin Insulin Glucose Glucose Glucose Glucose Glycogen Glycogen Glycogen Glycogen Liver Liver TG TG Liver Liver TG TG FA FA FA FA Lipolysis Lipolysis Lipolysis Lipolysis T2DM T2DM T2DM Fed Fed Fed C TG TG TG TG Lipolysis Lipolysis Lipolysis Lipolysis TG TG TG TG Glycogen Glycogen Glycogen Glycogen IMCL IMCL IMCL IMCL D T2DM T2DM T2DM Fasting Fasting Fasting Figure 6: Overview of insulin action on glucose, glycogen and lipid flux. A. Healthy individual after food ingestion B Healthy individual after several hours without food C. Type 2 diabetic after food ingestion D. Type 2 diabetic after several hours without food. These figures were taken from Samuel and Shulman’s work22 and were Adapted with Permission. Role of Lipids – We have discussed above the Lipids are insidiously associated with insulin onset of the disease. In part this is due to the poorly understood causality of pancreatic beta resistance. It has however been unclear whether misunderstanding of the intimate relationship cell dysfunction. Recently, however Taylor and circulating lipids or tissue specific lipids result of glucose with insulin and their combined colleagues from Newcastle University demon- in insulin resistance. After food ingestion roles in insulin resistance. The concept of strated that fat accumulation in the pancreas is dietary carbohydrate (CHO) increases plasma “insulin dependent” glucose uptake by muscle a major causative factor of the under-produc- glucose and results in insulin secretion from and other tissue has been propagated since the tion of insulin by the beta cells . In a small, the pancreatic beta cells (Figure 6A). In the 1950s. Indeed, insulin does stimulate the but pivotal clinical trial, nine obese people skeletal muscle, insulin increases glucose translocation of the glucose transporter Glut-4 diagnosed with T2D and a nine person control transport, facilitating glucose entry and from the cell cytoplasm of muscle tissue to the cohort were measured for weight, triglyceride glycogen synthesis. In the liver, insulin pro- cell membrane. This facilitates glucose uptake levels in the pancreas (using functional NMR), motes glycogen synthesis as well as de novo lipo- in an insulin dependent mechanism as and insulin response. These measurements genesis and also inhibits gluconeogenesis. In compared to the basal state of the cell without were determined eight weeks before and eight the adipose tissue, insulin suppresses lipolysis insulin present . However, there are numerous weeks post bariatric surgery. Prior to surgery and promotes lipogenesis . 23 all T2D patients had significantly higher triglycerides in their pancreas compared to controls. After surgery both the T2D and control groups had lost similar amounts of weight, as well as 22 24 other glucose transporters such as Glut-1, which is responsible for basal glucose uptake In individuals who are fasting, insulin production and release is decreased. The loss of insulin mediation leads to an increase of in muscle by an insulin-independent 25 mechanism . A study in 1983 indicated that in post-absorptive glycogenolysis. Hepatic lipid production human subjects 75-85% of glucose uptake is diminishes while adipose lipolysis increases noninsulin-mediated and provided additional (Figure 6B). In contrast for T2D patients evidence that insulin may modestly increase ectopic lipid accumulation impairs insulin glucose uptake merely by providing additional signaling. With accumulation of intracellular transport sites . A subsequent study in 2001 lipid, insulin mediated skeletal muscle glucose concluded that there is a sufficient population uptake is also impaired. As a result, glucose of glucose transporters in cell membranes at is diverted to the liver. In the liver, increased all times to ensure enough glucose uptake to liver lipids also impair the ability of insulin to satisfy the cell’s respiration, even in the regulate gluconeogenesis and activate glycogen absence of insulin. Insulin can and does synthesis. In contrast, initial lipogenesis in increase the number of these transporters in In the case of insulin resistance Shulman the liver remains unaffected, but together with some cells but glucose uptake is never truly has argued that “Insulin resistance is a complex the incremental delivery of dietary glucose, insulin dependent – in fact, even in uncon- metabolic disorder that defies a single etiological leads to increased fatty liver. Impaired insulin trolled diabetic hyperglycemia, whole body pathway. Accumulation of ectopic lipid metabolites, action in the adipose tissue allows for increased glucose uptake is inevitably increased . activation of the unfolded protein response pathway and lipolysis which promotes re-esterification of innate immune pathways have all been implicated lipids in other tissues (e.g. liver) and further in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. However, these exacerbates insulin resistance. This is coupled pathways are also closely linked to changes in fatty acid with a decline in pancreatic beta cells, and uptake, lipogenesis, and energy expenditure that hyperglycemia develops (Figures 6C and 6D) . can impact ectopic lipid deposition. Ultimately, It is evident from Shulman’s work and others accumulation of specific lipid metabolites (diacylglycerols that lipid deposition in specific organs and and/or ceramides) in liver and skeletal muscle may be a tissue plays a critical role in inducing insulin common pathway leading to impaired insulin signaling resistance and appears to be organ/tissue specific. However, pancreatic triacylglycerol normalized in the T2D cohort, whilst it did not change in the control cohort. In addition, insulin production by pancreatic beta cells also normalized (i.e. increased) in the T2D group but remained unchanged in the control group. This clinical trial was small, but nevertheless provided some compelling evidence that “fatty pancreas” is a major causative factor in beta cell dysfunction 23 and limited insulin production . 22 22 and insulin resistance” . This is all highlighted and summarized in Figure 6 A-D. 26 24 The same author also addressed the issue of insulin and glucose transport in diabetics. He concluded that when insulin is administered to people with diabetes who are fasting, blood glucose concentration falls. It is generally assumed that this is because insulin increases glucose uptake into tissues, particularly muscle. In fact, this is not the case. It has been shown that insulin concentrations that are Role of Carbohydrates – We have inferred above within the normal physiological range lowers that elevated blood glucose levels are an effect blood glucose through inhibiting hepatic of diabetes. However, it is unclear as to the role glucose production without stimulating of carbohydrates in the mechanistic causal peripheral glucose uptake . 24 29 COGNOSCIENTI hepatic gluconeogenesis and promotes comparable losses of systemic adipose tissue. Contrary to most textbooks and previous (in the form of both glucose and fructose) was For example, obesity is associated with changes teaching, glucose uptake is actually increased associated with increased diabetes prevalence in the composition of the intestinal microbiota, in uncontrolled diabetes and decreased by after testing for potential selection biases and and the obese microbiome seems to be more insulin administration! The explanation for controlling for all other variables. The impact efficient in harnessing energy from the diet. this is that because, even in the face of insulin of glucose/fructose on diabetes was independ- There is hope that such differences in gut deficiency, there are plenty of glucose transporters ent of sedentary behavior and alcohol use, and microbiota composition might function as in the cell membranes. The factor determining the effect was modified but not confounded by early diagnostic markers for the development glucose uptake under these conditions is obesity or overweight. Duration and degree of T2D in high-risk patients. However, for the concentration gradient across the cell of sugar exposure correlated significantly with the present time, it is unclear as to the exact membrane; this is highest in uncontrolled diabetes prevalence in a dose-dependent role our ~100-300 trillion microbial tenants diabetes and falls as insulin lowers blood manner, while declines in sugar exposure play in modulating the biochemical elements glucose concentration primarily (at physiological correlated with significant subsequent associated with diabetes. Do they hold the key insulin concentrations) through reducing declines in diabetes rates independently of to innovative new diagnostic and therapeutic hepatic glucose production . In other words, other socioeconomic, dietary and obesity protocols, or are these microbes an exponential glycogen release of glucose by the liver is the prevalence changes. This is one of the first additive to the indeterminate nature of diabetes? causative reason that blood glucose rises, and studies to indicate a direct correlation between insulin when present, mediates this action by carbohydrate intake and diabetes onset . 24 28 biome will add several new dimensions of 27 inhibiting glucose release by the liver . 30 Recent studies suggest that the human micro- Human Microbiome Twist complexity to consider in the management and It is often believed that experimental and The discussions so far clearly indicate that treatment of diabetes and related disorders. observational studies suggest that dietary our understanding of the “simple disease” of For example, non-caloric artificial sweeteners glucose intake is associated with the develop- diabetes is far from complete. The complex (NCAS) have been in use for over a century. ment of T2D. However, when one considers intertwining of carbohydrate and lipid metab- They have provided a vehicle for ingestion of this issue in isolation and independent of olism is just now being unraveled. However, a “sweet” foods without the accompanying high obesity related issues, it is unclear whether new factor has recently been interjected in the calorific content of the sugar/carbohydrate. In alterations in glucose intake can account for form of the intestinal human microbiome . the past 20 years NCAS have been introduced differences in diabetes prevalence among The microbiome refers to ~100-300 trillion into a wide variety of cereals, sodas and populations. In that light, Sabu and colleagues microbes, composed of ~10,000 different desserts and marketed as alternative food and recently investigated this very matter and species that constitute 1-3% of our body beverage sources for individuals suffering from noted that numerous countries had high weight and contain an estimated 8 million IGT and diabetes. Most NCAS pass through the diabetes prevalence but low obesity rates . protein-coding genes. These microorganisms human gastrointestinal tract without being The list included a diverse range of socioeco- play an intimate and undetermined role in the digested and thus encounter the human 28 29 2 nomic and culturally different countries that health and pathobiology of the human host . microbiome, with a surprising and confounding included France, Romania, Bangladesh, Recently our knowledge of the microbiome in outcome for diabetic patients! Philippines and Georgia. They also noted relation to the function of the human digest that these trends were also dys-synchronous system has increased immensely due to the within countries. For example, in Sri Lanka development of new analytical methods such the diabetes prevalence rate rose from 3% in as high-throughput metagenomic sequenc- the year 2000 to 11% in 2010, while its obesity ing. This has enabled researchers to identify rate remained at 0.1% during that time period. possible effects of the microbiome on human Conversely, diabetes prevalence in New metabolism, including its potential role in Zealand declined from 8% in 2000 to 5% metabolic disorders like obesity and T2D . in 2010 while obesity rates in the country Recently the potential role of the gut microbiome 28 rose from 23% to 34% during that decade . The authors ultimately concluded that every 150 kcal/person/day increase in sugar availability 29 in these metabolic disorders has been identified. In a recently widely reported study, Segal and Elinav found that the NCAS saccharin (brand name- Sweet‘N Low), sucralose (brand name- Splenda) and aspartame (brand names- NutraSweet and Equal) raised blood sugar levels by dramatically changing the 30 composition of gut microorganisms . They added saccharin, sucralose, or aspartame to the drinking water of mice and found that their blood sugar levels were higher than those of mice who drank sugar water -- no matter whether the animals were on a normal diet or Diabetes Complexity and Precision Medicine In T2D GWAS studies across diverse popula- a high-fat diet. Although saccharin, sucralose, We have suggested elsewhere that the percep- tions 70 loci associated with T2D have been and aspartame are three different compounds, tion of diabetes as a “simple disease” has led identified, although it is not known how many “the effects were quite similar to each to misunderstanding, poor diagnosis, ineffi- of these loci have a significant effect on the other” . When the sweetener-fed mice were cient treatments and a global prognoses of the risk or expression of the disease. Significant given antibiotics to clear their gut of bacteria, disease that is now the “diabetic iceberg tip association of single nucleotide polymor- their blood sugar levels dropped back down of despair.” The primary focus has been on phisms (SNPs) in the CDKAL1, CDKN2A/B, to normal. To gather more evidence of the the treatment of the effect of elevated blood HHEX, KCNQ1, SLC30A8, HLA-B, INS-IGF, relationship between artificial sweeteners, glucose levels, and not a therapeutic paradigm TCF7L2 and CAPN10 genes might be associated gut bacteria, and blood sugar levels, the that considers human systems level complexi- with equivalent clinical subtypes . If this researchers transferred feces from mice that ty, variability and causality of diabetes. Recall were the case, it might explain why sub- drank artificially sweetened water into mice that PM “..is the tailoring of medical treatment to the populations of individuals with T2D responded that never had. Somewhat surprisingly, blood individual characteristics of each patient” . Does a differentially to drug monotherapy across sugar levels rose in the recipients reconsideration of the causal mechanisms of different categories of anti-diabetic drugs. 30 The study was extended to include 400 human subjects where it was determined that the bacteria in the guts of those who ate and drank artificial sweeteners were different from 30 7 diabetes and a move away from “one size fits all” provide a foundation for the application of the PM toolkit now available in the clinicians’ tool bag? 32 From retrospective analysis of electronic medical records, support for at least 3 distinct subtypes from a clinical population of T2D 33 exists . The first subtype was associated with Earlier, diabetes was described as a heterogeneous diabetic nephropathy and diabetic retinopathy, cial sweeteners also tended to have higher fpg mix of syndromes, each having a characteristic while subtype 2 was associated with cancer levels and IGT. Finally, the researchers recruit- and differentiating polygenic etiology. The malignancy and cardiovascular diseases. The ed seven volunteers, five men and two women, cardinal features are chronic hyperglycemia third subtype was also associated with cardio- who normally didn’t eat or drink products along with disturbances in the metabolism of vascular diseases, plus HIV infections, allergies with artificial sweeteners and followed them carbohydrates, lipids and proteins (Figures and neurological diseases. Genetic association for a week, tracking their blood sugar levels. 5 and 6). These disturbances are linked to analysis of the subtypes found 1279 SNPs that The volunteers were given the FDA’s maximum deficiencies in insulin production and/or mapped to 425 unique genes. In the second acceptable daily intake of saccharin from day insulin resistance. This globally impaired subtype 1227 SNPs mapped to 322 genes and two through day seven. By the end of the metabolism, attended by varying degrees of the third showed 1338 SNPs mapping to 437 week, blood sugar levels had risen in four hyperglycemia and lack of glycemic balance, genes. These 3 subtypes may substantiate the of the seven people. Transfers of feces from is linked to inflammation and wide-ranging lower end of the range of subtypes for T2D 11-13 people whose blood sugar rose increased blood impact on all body systems . This systemic (Figure 1). We suggest a speculative upper range sugar in mice, more evidence that the artificial impact on the diabetic patient leads to of ~15 for both T1D and T2D as being about sweetener had changed the gut bacteria. The significant disease variability within individuals. 20% of the gene loci in either case (one might authors concluded that NCAS were extensively However, it is also important to consider the argue that this is reasonable based on genetic introduced into our diets with the intention of individual susceptibility to diabetes. For association analysis of oncologic diseases). This reducing caloric intake and normalizing blood example more than 50 loci have been would represent a reasonable estimate of the glucose levels without compromising the implicated as determinants of T1D risk using proportion of specific gene loci likely to have human ‘sweet tooth’. The findings suggested the genome wide association studies (GWAS) significant (detectable) impact on either risk or 31 that “NCAS may have directly contributed to enhancing approach . However, it is likely that only the expression of disease components. As genomic the exact [diabetic] epidemic that they themselves were HLA genes, INS and PTPN22 loci have signif- studies gain sensitivity it may be necessary to icant effects on disease risk. It is not clear identify and link more subtypes. 30 intended to fight” . whether these 3 loci have any equivalency relationship to the 3 clinical subtypes of type 1, namely autoimmune, non-autoimmune non-fulminant and non-autoimmune fulminant. Across all of diabetes, it seems that there are subtypes that may respond differentially to various single and combined therapies. In GD, 31 there are clearly, at least 3 subtypes , whereas 31 COGNOSCIENTI those who did not . People who used artifi- in T1D and T2D there are grounds to suggest cost-effectiveness support too. Pharmacoeco- given drug, biomarker, or active biological somewhere between 3 and 15 subtypes of nomics are pivotal to the involvement and agent. The platform consists of five modules: 33-35 treatment significance . This means that in approaching the treatment of diabetes, there could be anywhere from 9-33 or more treatable subtypes, where each subtype had treatmentsensitive characteristics. The existence of these subtypes could explain much of the variance in contemporary treatment outcomes, since each subtype might be sensitive only to specific single or combined therapies. One of the goals of patient-caregiver dyads. Drug Therapy Treatment We have argued the current therapies are focused on only the effect of diabetes. In order to highlight that point we have assembled the marketed therapeutic agents used to lower systemic glucose levels. The following 1. Controlled Source Knowledge Module- US National Library of Medicine archive (USNLM) from 1809-current 2. Data Acquisition Module- high precision clinical efficacy variable text mining capability using a purpose built semantically intelligent Natural Language Processor categories of common glucose lowering agents 3. Array Module- all data is arrayed into a have a variety of mechanisms and actions and drug-disease-outcome relationships include direct insulin administration, and the database where each relation is an popular SGLT2 proximal nephron inhibitors empirically weighted contributor to Treatment, in all cases, has the targets of and this information is all captured and clinical efficacy glycemic control, both in the acute and long summarized in Table 1. precision medicine is to be able to determine the exact subtype sensitivity to therapies. This idea will be further developed below. term sense, and the prevention and reduction of complications, including disturbances in 32 decision making of the diabetic patient in joint lipid and protein metabolism and pathology in other body systems. Contemporary practitioners have a wide array of evidence-based treatment options and clinical decision support systems for choosing among these options. These options include: 4. Analysis Module- using Network Graph We have suggested that T2D involves distur- Theory and a suite of algorithms to bances not just in carbohydrate metabolism determine the most centric and similar but also in lipid and protein metabolism, components of clinical efficacy for all inflammatory pathways, and microbiome and diseases gut nutrient composition Therefore it would appear prudent to evaluate other types of therapies that may have mechanisms and actions very different from glucose lowering. 5. Prediction Module- Answer System analytics automation layer with graphic user interface (GUI) for real time output of new indications with high probability l Drug mono-therapy In the search for further subtypes, it may be l Combination drug therapies helpful to recognize that drug class therapy l Non drug therapies failure may help to characterize subtype- The CureHunter platform facilitates the capture l Combination therapy of drug therapies and sensitivity profiles. For example, in GD the and automated analysis of all of published commonest management includes prenatal biomedical knowledge (in the USNLM) demon- care, nutrition therapy and occasional use strating a functional role in the clinical efficacy of insulin and other drug therapies. Prenatal potential of over 250,000 active biological care and nutrition therapy are highly effective molecules, markers, mechanisms, and drugs therapies for glycemic control in gestational operating in over 11,600 disease states. The diabetes. following table (Table 2) illustrates the typical non-drug therapies Lifestyle factor modifications l l Nutritional adjustment - addition or removal of nutrients l Microbiome adjustments Along with clinical experience, there are a variety of available PM tools that one can In the era of PM how can such tools be utilized apply, for example clinical decision support to address such complex issues. As one systems for option management in the example CureHunter Inc. utilizes an Integrated treatment of diabetes. These include CureHunter Systems Biology platform which effectively Inc. (www.curehunter.com), Therametrics synthesizes all the data and knowledge (www.therametrics.com) and BioVista’s available from literature sources and clinical (www.biovista.com) platforms. For illustration, trials to produce a clinical outcome database. we will highlight how CureHunter provides This database is structured for autonomous PM decision support at a treatment level and prediction of new disease indications for any how easy it is to use the platfrom to provide of clinical success prediction output for a query about T2D using the CureHunter engine. It shows the top ranked drug monotherapies for the treatment of T2D based upon an analysis of all relevant articles indexed by PubMed (USNLM). Article relevance is determined using an artificial intelligence approach that combines and weights each article based upon its level of evidence and the numbers of articles containing outcome statements, clinical trial or study statements Class Example Mechanism(s) Primary action(s) CureHunter Effectiveness Index ɑ-glucosidase inhibitors 3 Acarbose inhibits intestinal slows carbohydrate Miglitol ɑ-glucosidase digestion/ absorption Amylin mimetics decreases glucagon secretion 1* Pramlintide activates amylin receptors slows gastric emptying increases satiety feelings Biguanides decreases hepatic glucose Metformin activates AMP-kinase 4.5 production Bile acid sequestrants Colesevelam binds intestinal bile acids, may decrease hepatic glucose 1* increasing hepatic bile acid production; may increase production incretin levels Dopamine-2 agonists activates dopaminergic modulates hypothalamic receptors regulation of metabolism DPP-4 inhibitors Sitagliptin inhibits DPP-4 activity, increases insulin secretion Vildagliptin increasing postprandial decreases glucagon secretion Saxagliptin active incretin (GLP-1, GIP) Linagliptinconcentrations Bromocriptine 1* 2 Alogliptin Insulins Rapid-acting activates insulin receptors increases glucose disposal 3 Short-acting decreases hepatic glucose Intermediate-acting production Basal analogs Meglitinides Repaglinide shuts ATPK channels on β- increases insulin secretion Nateglinide cell plasma membranes SGLT2 inhibitors Canagliflozin inhibits SGLT2 in the Blocks glucose reabsorption Dapagliflozin proximal nephron by the kidney, increasing Empagliflozin glucosuria Sulfonylureas Glyburide/glibenclamide shuts ATPK channels on - increases insulin secretion 3 Glipizide cell plasma membranes increases insulin sensitivity 3 4* 1* Gliclazide Glimepiride Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) Pioglitazone activates nuclear transcription factor PPAR-β Rosiglitazone 2 Table 1: Classes of marketed therapeutic drugs used for treatment of diabetic patients, showing examples of each class, mechanisms of action, principal actions, and CureHunter effectiveness index. 57 Based upon Inzucchi et al. 2015 and CureHunter output. * Denotes Effectiveness Index value based on much more limited data and therefore lower confidence level scores. 33 COGNOSCIENTI and articles with clear context of study statements. The engine provides an effectiveness index on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most effective. The indices shown in the table have been rounded for ease of comparison. The importance of this real time computed Related Diseases: Related Drugs/ Related Therapies: CureHunter meta-analysis output to the point of care 602 Bio-Agents: 227 Effectiveness Index (POC) provider is to support decision making 2408 about drug and related therapies with a higher net benefit to the patient populations being Related/Drug/ Outcome served. Any provider is able to drill down into Important Statements StatementsStatements the articles behind any effectiveness index Trial/Study All Context Bio-Agent (IBA) for any drug or related therapy with one click access in order to satisfy themselves about the Insulin 273 provenance of the engine’s recommendations. Metformin 106 244 9384.5 Acarbose 34 In the subsequent table (Table 3) the typical 78 54263 1793 Pioglitazone 32 108 3262 the CureHunter engine. It shows the top Sitagliptin 29 45 1573 ranked related therapies for treatment based Glyburide 27 56 2393 upon an analysis of all relevant articles. Just Rosiglitazone26 61 2562 as with drug therapies, the engine provides an Glucagon-like peptide 1 25 34 357 effectiveness index on a scale of 1-10, with 10 Exenatide 18 38 1822 Glargine 16 48 1363 Glipizide 14 27 953 output is shown for a query about T2D using 34 795 being the most effective. The indices shown in the table have been rounded for ease of comparison. The CureHunter recommendations for the treatment of T2D cover drug monotherapy, and comparison between CureHunter output measured in milliseconds with the recommen- 3 Alpha-glucosidases14 23 82 2 Thiazolidinediones14 12 192 3 Troglitazone 13 27 1094 Miglitol 11 321 5 dations of typical national agencies for Pramlinitide 1 3 161 diabetes. For example, the recent (NICE, 2015 Covesevalam7 5 40 1 http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28/ Bromocriptine1 2 17 1 evidence/full-guideline-2185320349) for the treatment of T2DM took 6 years to Table 2: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus drug therapy develop. The recent 2015 updated guidelines The first column indicates the related drug or bio-agent. The second column shows the number of supporting studies from the Canadian Diabetes Association that contain outcome statements. The third column shows the number of supporting studies with clinical trial or study (http://guidelines.diabetes.ca/executivesummary) statements, the fourth column shows the number of supporting studies that contain context statements, and the fifth and the January 2016 Consensus statement by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology on the comprehensive T2D management algorithm: 2016 executive summary compare favorably with CureHunter recommendations. columns shows the CureHunter effectiveness index. Users are able to scrutinize all or any of the studies that support a recommended therapy. Studies that are included must meet stringent evidentiary standards that are encoded in the data model and software that parses all articles published by the US National Library of Medicine by a given date. This table shows the capture for a late December, 2015 update. L I V E Related Diseases: Related Drugs/ Related Therapies: CureHunter 602 Bio-Agents: 227 Effectiveness Index W E B I N A R Incorporating genomic data into clinical practice REGISTER NOW 2408 Trial/Study March 29, 2016 – 2:30pm EST Related/Therapy Outcome All Context Procedure Statements StatementsStatements Gastric bypass 53 24 147 3 Bariatric surgery 53 16 157 4 Gastrectomy15 19 83 3 7 6 45 4 Diet therapy 5 7 41 1 Aftercare 3 13 403 Resistance training 3 8 32 4 Renal dialysis 2 14 68 1 Angioplasty 2 14 243 Transplants 2 5 505 Carbohydrate restricted diet 2 4 13 7 Root planning 2 2 6 1 Stem cell transplantation 2 2 5 1 Biliopancreatic diversion 2 1 11 6 0 4 1 Electroacupuncture2 Table 3: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus related therapies The first column indicates the related therapy or procedure. The second column shows the number of supporting studies that contain outcome statements. The third column shows the number of supporting studies with clinical trial or study statements, the fourth column shows the number of supporting studies that contain context statements, and the fifth columns shows the CureHunter effectiveness index. Users are able to scrutinize all or any of the studies that support a recommended therapy. Studies that are included must meet stringent evidentiary standards that are encoded in the data model and software that parses all articles published by the US National Library of Medicine by a given date. This table shows the capture for a late December, 2015 update. David Roth, MD Chair of Laboratory and Pathology Medicine, Director of Precision Medicine, Penn Medicine Brian Wells Associate Vice President Technology and Health Computing, Penn Medicine Since it launched in 2013, the Center for Personalized Diagnostics at the University of Pennsylvania Health System has sequenced more than 4,000 clinical tumor samples to help provide actionable genomic data for the treatment of a variety of cancers. In this session, participants will learn from UPHS leaders of the program how other research centers and health systems can build from the ground up a genomic testing, and data collection function into their clinical operation to provide more precise, individualized care of cancer patients. Learn how to build the IT infrastructure needed to capture, store and analyze genomic data and how to “break down the walls” that exist between research and clinical care to deliver that genomic and diagnostic data across the care continuum, including directly to clinicians via the patient’s electronic health record (EHR). Regsiter at www.thejournalofprecisionmedicine.com Sponsored by Organized by 35 COGNOSCIENTI Caloric restriction Real time meta-analyses of combination therapies linked to specific patient subpopulations are also available from CureHunter online to support further evidence-based steps toward personalized medicine. Combination therapies may consist of drug combinations or drug with non-drug therapies. For example, the POC Selected Studies Milionis H. Combining a statin with a fibrate versus fibrate monotherapy: efficacious but safe? Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2014;13(3):267-269. doi: 10.1517/14740338.2014.887679. Combination Therapy Description Fibrate (agonist of peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor-ɑ, PPR-ɑ) monotherapy is effective for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia, while the combination of a fibrate with a statin is an option in the management of patients with combined dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus who present with atherogenic dyslipidemia (low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and elevated triglyceride levels). There is evidence that the combination treatment is efficacious towards a global improvement of the lipid abnormalities with a safety profile similar to that of fibrate monotherapy with regard to liver and muscle toxicity. Lin R-T, Tzeng C-Y, Lee Y-C, et al. Acupoint-specific, frequency-dependent, and improved insulin sensitivity hypoglycemic effect of electroacupuncture applied to drug-combined therapy studied by a randomized control clinical trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:371475. doi:10.1155/2014/371475. EA combined with the oral insulin sensitizer rosiglitazone improved insulin sensitivity in rats and humans with type II diabetes mellitus (DM). Zhang X, Liu Y, Xiong D, Xie C. Insulin combined with Chinese medicine improves glycemic outcome through multiple pathways in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Diabetes Investig. 2015;6(6):708-715. doi:10.1111/jdi.12352. The results from our study showed that the combination therapy of SQF and insulin significantly improved the clinical outcome of type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with insulin monotherapy. Chobit’ko VG, Zakharova NB, Rubin VI. [Relation between the changes in thiamine metabolism and energy processes in erythrocytes of patients with diabetes mellitus and approaches to their correction with drugs]. Vopr Med Khim. 1986;32(3):118-121. Insulin and cocarboxylase as well as insulin combined with thiamin and adenine exhibited the best effect on the patterns studied; these drugs normalized the vitamin B1 metabolism and improved the parameters of energy metabolism within 120 min of incubation in erythrocytes isolated from blood of patients with diabetes mellitus. Johnson JL, Wolf SL, Kabadi UM. Efficacy of insulin and sulfonylurea combination therapy in type II diabetes. A meta-analysis of the randomized placebo-controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. 1996;156(3):259-264. Combination therapy with insulin and sulfonylurea may be a more appropriate and a suitable option to insulin monotherapy in subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes in whom primary or secondary failure to sulfonylurea developed. It may also be a more cost-effective way of long-term management in this group of subjects, especially in the elderly. provider can access instant decision support for choosing combination therapies where specific patients are not responding to prior treatment with monotherapy alone. The example that follows (Table 4) shows a small subset of the articles selected and analyzed for a query about a combination approach to T2D. Treatment Failure When people are diagnosed with T2D, the normative practitioner response is to try drug monotherapy with metformin, unless it is 36 contraindicated. If the response is not adequate, other first line agents may be used singly or in combination. Outcome failure on any of these approaches may be viewed as a consequence of combinations of phenotype and genotype, representing subtypes that do not respond to specific single or combination approaches. If we consider the main categories of antidiabetic agents, it may be that specific categories do not have effective mechanisms and receptor interactions for people in a given specific subtype. It will be rewarding to start mapping categories of agents that are effective or non-effective for specific known subtypes. This would constitute a reasonable and rational approach to precision treatment. An example of a two pronged approach to this would be the convergence of a network biology approach looking to determine subtypes based upon theoretically supported responses to specific therapies combined with retrospective analysis of large populations with known subtypes looking for the most successful treatment outcomes in known subtype groups. This would allow a mapping of specific subtypesensitive therapies to specific subtypes, one of the essential features of precision treatments. Table 4: The first column shows a subset of CureHunter selected studies for a specific combination therapy and the second column shows a brief description for that combination. There are numerous studies supporting the Compelling evidence exists to support the a complex interplay of both carbohydrate use of combination therapies both for drug existence of T2D subtypes of differential and lipid metabolism mediated by a suite of combinations and combinations of drug ther- sensitivity to different drug monotherapies, hormones such as insulin and glucagon. But 36,37 apy with non drug approaches varying combination drug therapies and several the clandestine role of lipids manifested in cases, positive treatment outcomes may not . In some related therapies. This points to T2D being a the form of fatty liver and fatty pancreas in be directly attributable to specific components constellation of subtypes where differentiating diabetes onset and progression is just now of the combination therapy, across or within characteristics include single or combined being spotlighted. subtypes. For treatment failure, however, it is dysfunctions of many aspects of metabolism, possible to assert that the specific combination not just limited to carbohydrate metabolism. was ineffective across or within subtypes. Does this new insight afford innovative and novel approaches to augment the current tired and somewhat one-dimensional treatment Alternative Approach for T2D could be accelerated by using a com- regimes that provide a palliative to elevated Earlier, we suggested that approaches of preci- bination of clinical decision support systems blood sugar? At this time, it is unclear. There is sion medicine (treatment) to diabetes need to along with trivalent convergence methodol- a dire human health and socioeconomic need be reasonable and rational, where reasonable ogy and using a broad spectrum approach to for innovation and creation of new approaches treatment that included drug monotherapy, to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and Tricorder technology refers to a form of combination drug therapies, related non improved prognosis of this insidious disease. precision nanomedicine using microfluidics drug therapies, combination therapy of drug The advent of PM has been accompanied by with a lab-on-a-chip, where small samples of a therapies and non-drug therapies, lifestyle the usual hyperbole and enthusiastic promise person’s body fluid can be analyzed at low cost factor modifications, nutritional adjustment, of a “brave new world” in human healthcare, within a few minutes. Tricorder technology and microbiome adjustment. Beyond T2D we with the past failures of personalized medicine is able to diagnose at least 15 conditions and argue that this multi-pronged approach would conveniently forgotten. Do the spectra of the monitor vital signs for 72 hours. As tricord- satisfy the goals of PM for many other chronic twin icebergs of diabetes and PM afford a er technology evolves, it will be applied to conditions and diseases and simultaneous- complementary opportunity? The old cliché the problem of identifying subtypes that are 38-41 includes the practical and the pragmatic . ly involve patients in the decision-making “only time will tell” is sorely overused, and sensitive to specific treatment approaches process, affording them more autonomy and woefully inadequate given the current crises If tricorder technology is combined with a responsibility for self-care along with choices of pandemic diabetes, and massive under- network biology approach plus retrospective in cost-effective treatments. This path will, diagnosis, accompanied by IGT and metabolic analysis of large populations with known sub- by its very nature, make significant inroads to syndrome. It is imperative that PM affords new 42,43 . types looking for the most successful treatment the huge proportion of national GDP currently insights and paradigms into the diagnosis, outcomes, the resulting trivalent convergence management and treatment of diabetes should become a powerful strategy for reducing the global burden of diabetes, particularly 33-35,42 for T2D . As trivalent convergence meth- odology identifies and characterizes new T2D subtypes, we see precision treatments evolving along the following lines: spent on treatments in health care. Conclusions What have we learned from this journey across the current bleak iceberg terrain of diabetes and PM? The concept and perception that diabetes is a “simple disease” has fueled and driven much of our limited understanding of l Drug mono-therapy disease onset and therapeutic treatment over l Combination drug therapies l Non drug therapies tional medicine, and fledgling “P-Medicine” in l Combination therapy of drug therapies and the form of PM, has had on diabetes has been 36,37 44 non-drug therapies the past half century. The impact that conven- exceedingly limited and disappointing. The 45-48 l Lifestyle factor modifications l Nutritional adjustment - addition or removal that is staggering in its proportion, and yet of nutrients l 49-52 resultant outcome has been a global pandemic reflects just the tip of the iceberg of diabetic 53-56 Microbiome adjustments despair. It is clear that diabetes results from predicated on prediction and prevention as part of the vanguard approach to stave off the next engulfing wave of global diabetic patients. In a world where we love to dumb things down, it may be worthwhile to consider that such an approach has gotten us here. Recall that Precision Medicine “is the tailoring of medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient and…..classify individuals into subpopulations that differ in their susceptibility to a particular disease, in the biology and/or prognosis of those diseases they may develop, or in their response to a specific 7 treatment” . Maybe this is just what we need and what the doctor should order! 37 COGNOSCIENTI It would seem that achieving the goals of PM Acknowledgements We would like to thank Mr. Andrew Jackson (flaircreativedesign.com) and Mr. Damian Doherty (Editor-Journal of Precision Medicine) for their considerable help and input on the figures and content contained in this article. In addition, we express grateful appreciation to Mr. Judge Schonfeld, Founder and CEO of CureHunter Inc, for access to the CHI software and his unflagging support of our efforts. References 41. Prasad RB, Groop L. Genetics of type 2 diabetes—pitfalls and possibilities. Genes. 2015; 6: 87-123. 42. Goel A. Gene-RADAR®.; 2013. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=LFPo4pjT40k. Accessed January 16, 2016. 43. Gwynne P. Nanotech firm takes passage to India. Research Technology Management. 2009; 52: 7-8. 44. Aune D, Norat T, Leitzmann M, Tonstad S, Vatten LJ. Physical activity and the risk of type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis. European Journal of Epidemiology. 2015; 30: 529-542. 45. Franz MJ, Boucher JL, Rutten-Ramos S, VanWormer JJ. Lifestyle weight-loss intervention outcomes in overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. 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Clinical & Experimental Immunology. 2015; 179: 363-377. 57. Inzucchi SE, Bergenstal RM, Buse JB, et al. Management of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes, 2015: A patient-centered approach: Update to a position statement of the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2015; 38: 140-149. Jack Yensen, RN., Ph.D. is an educator, writer and consultant in e-health and e-learning. He has held many academic and advisory positions throughout North America in universities and corporations in the fields of health informatics (former Director of Education, Canadian Nursing Informatics Association), pathophysiology, pharmacology, research methodology and advanced nursing. His particular interest in diabetes was stimulated by serving as a National Publications Committee member, Canadian Diabetes Association. 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