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Both personalized medicine and nanomedicine are new to medical practice. Nanomedicine is an application of the advances of nanotechnology in medicine and is being integrated into diagnostic and therapeutic tools to manage an array of medical conditions. On the other hand, personalized medicine, which is also referred to as precision medicine, is a novel concept that aims to individualize/customize therapeutic management based on the personal attributes of the patient to overcome blanket treatment that is only efficient in a subset of patients, leaving others with either ineffective treatment or treatment that results in significant toxicity. Novel nanomedicines have been employed in the treatment of several diseases, which can be adapted to each patient-specific case according to their genetic profiles. In this review, we discuss both areas and the intersection between the two emerging scientific domains. The review focuses on the current situation in personalized medicine, the advantages that can be offered by nanomedicine to personalized medicine, and the application of nanoconstructs in the diagnosis of genetic variability that can identify the right drug for the right patient. Finally, we touch upon the challenges in both fields towards the translation of nano-personalized medicine.

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer occurrence and mortality worldwide. Treatment of patients with advanced and metastatic LC presents a significant challenge, as malignant cells use different mechanisms to resist chemotherapy. Drug resistance (DR) is a complex process that occurs due to a variety of genetic and acquired factors. Identifying the mechanisms underlying DR in LC patients and possible therapeutic alternatives for more efficient therapy is a central goal of LC research. Advances in nanotechnology resulted in the development of targeted and multifunctional nanoscale drug constructs. The possible modulation of the components of nanomedicine, their surface functionalization, and the encapsulation of various active therapeutics provide promising tools to bypass crucial biological barriers. These attributes enhance the delivery of multiple therapeutic agents directly to the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in reversal of LC resistance to anticancer treatment. This review provides a broad framework for understanding the different molecular mechanisms of DR in lung cancer, presents novel nanomedicine therapeutics aimed at improving the efficacy of treatment of various forms of resistant LC; outlines current challenges in using nanotechnology for reversing DR; and discusses the future directions for the clinical application of nanomedicine in the management of LC resistance.

Enhanced permeation retention (EPR) was a significant milestone discovery by Maeda et al. paving the road for the emerging nanomedicine as a powerful tool in the fight against cancer. Sildenafil is a potent inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) used for treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) through the relaxation of smooth muscles and the modulation of vascular endothelial permeability. Overexpression of PDE-5 was reported in lung, colon, metastatic breast cancers and bladder squamous carcinoma. Accordingly, there has been a growing interest in using sildenafil as monotherapy or chemoadjuvant in EPR augmentation and management of different types of cancer. Sildenafil had been reported to increase the sensitivity of tumor cells of different origins to the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapeutic agents with augmented apoptosis mediated through inducing the expression of Bad and Bax proapoptotic proteins. It was also reported that the use of sildenafil prior to the administration of Doxorubicin (DOX) increased its EPR-related concentration in breast cancer tissues by 2 folds. Further, a substantial reason of anticancer chemotherapeutic failure is due to multidrug resistance (MDR), exacerbated by the overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters such as ABCB1 and ABCCs. Sildenafil has demonstrated inhibitory effects on the efflux activity of ABCC4, ABCC5, ABCB1, and ABCG2, ultimately reversing MDR caused by these transporters. In this review, we critically examine the overall potential of sildenafil in enhancing EPR-based anticancer drug delivery pointing up the outcome of the most important related preclinical and clinical studies.

Enhanced permeation retention (EPR) was a significant milestone discovery by Maeda et al. paving the path for the emerging field of nanomedicine to become a powerful tool in the fight against cancer. Sildenafil is a potent inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) through the relaxation of smooth muscles and the modulation of vascular endothelial permeability. Overexpression of PDE-5 has been reported in lung, colon, metastatic breast cancers, and bladder squamous carcinoma. Moreover, sildenafil has been reported to increase the sensitivity of tumor cells of different origins to the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapeutic agents with augmented apoptosis mediated through inducing the downregulation of Bcl-xL and FAP-1 expression, enhancing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, phosphorylating BAD and Bcl-2, upregulating caspase-3,8,9 activities, and blocking cells at G0/G1 cell cycle phase. Sildenafil has also demonstrated inhibitory effects on the efflux activity of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters such as ABCC4, ABCC5, ABCB1, and ABCG2, ultimately reversing multidrug resistance. Accordingly, there has been a growing interest in using sildenafil as monotherapy or chemoadjuvant in EPR augmentation and management of different types of cancer. In this review, we critically examine the basic molecular mechanism of sildenafil related to cancer biology and discuss the overall potential of sildenafil in enhancing EPR-based anticancer drug delivery, pointing to the outcomes of the most important related preclinical and clinical studies.

Food neophobia is a widely prevalent eating behavior among children, which has been linked to poor dietary variety and quality. Nevertheless, data pertaining nutrient intakes in relation to food neophobia among children in Middle East countries are lacking. The present study aimed to examine the associations between food neophobia and nutrient intakes in children aged 6–12 years. A cross-sectional study of 424 children was conducted. Food neophobia among children was evaluated using the Food Neophobia Scale. Dietary data of children were collected using 24-hour dietary recalls, and nutrient densities were calculated. Intakes of macro- and micronutrients were compared to dietary recommendations. Proportions of children who met the dietary recommendations for all nutrients were similar across food neophobia groups. No significant difference in macro- or micronutrient intake was observed across categories of food neophobia in univariate analyses; however, in multiple regression models, higher food neophobia score was associated with lower protein intake (β = -0.04% of total energy, 95% CI −0.07 to −0.01), cholesterol (β = -1.79 mg/1000 kcals, 95% CI −3.51 to −0.06), potassium (β = -11.02 mg/1000 kcals, 95% CI −20.5 to −1.54), phosphorus (β = -5.30 mg/1000 kcals, 95% CI −9.74 to −0.86), magnesium (β = -1.20 mg/1000 kcals, 95% CI −2.15 to −0.25), iron (β = -0.07 mg/1000 kcals, 95% CI −0.14 to −0.01), zinc (β = -0.04 mg/1000 kcals, 95% CI −0.07 to −0.001), and selenium intake (β = -0.48 ug/1000 kcals, 95% CI −0.93 to −0.04). Our findings suggest negative associations between food neophobia in children and intake of a number of important nutrients. Further investigations are needed to identify potential factors that could influence food and nutrient intake among food neophobic children.

Background: The improvement in the survival rate from cancer is increased due to advancement in the early detection, combined modality therapy and right therapeutic strategies. This study was aimed to assess the survival outcomes of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH).Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all patients aged 14 years and older with a diagnosis of NSCLC from 2007 to 2017 using electronic medical records at KAUH. Data analysis was performed by using Stata SE, version 15.0. Survival was defined as the time the patient lived in months from the date of pathological diagnosis to the date of last follow-up or death. All variables in a univariate and multivariate analysis were included.Results: Adenocarcinoma was the most common type of NSCLC observed in both genders, accounting for 43.70% of all cases. Of the patients diagnosed with NSCLC the overall median survival was 12.2 months (interval=16.9). And among all variables, surgical treatment was associated with a 71% relative reduction in risk of death (hazard ratio 0.29, p