Complementary and Integrative Medicine: Personalized Health Care for Cancer Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2018, Vol.

, 2018, Vol. 24, No. 35 4091

Editorial

Complementary and Integrative Medicine: Personalized Health Care for Cancer and
Chronic Inflammatory Diseases
Cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases have a significant impact on quality of life, due to both disease progression and drugs’ adverse
effect. On the other hand, complementary medicine, including supplements, herbs, probiotics and prebiotics, is a topic of growing interest in
both preclinical and clinical studies. In particular, antioxidant phytochemicals have been suggested as complementary medicines able to re-
duce the adverse effects of drugs. In this context, Paz et al. [1] reported both hepatoprotective and cytotoxic effects for diterpenes. On the
other hand, Ayati et al. [2] reviewed the traditional uses of Rosehip and the potential effects of its bioactive phytochemicals, including pheno-
lic compounds. Marranzano et al. [3] suggested that polyphenols from residual sources could be used for increasing the stability of foods by
preventing lipid peroxidation, potentially improving the effects on health of certain foods. However, polyphenols are metabolized by human
body as drugs.

Many genetic and epi-genetic factors affect the efficacy of conventional medicine, as well as of nutrients. Virgili et al. [4] reviewed the
relationship between specific polymorphisms of genes encoding for metallothioneins and zinc transporters with zinc status, immune function
and some non-communicable diseases.

Concerning non-nutrient bioactive molecules, in addition to their metabolism by human body, which is affected by genetic polymor-
phisms of genes involved in the metabolisms and disposal of drugs, many phytochemicals are metabolized by gut microbiota. The latter can
be affected by some phytochemicals, having anti-microbial activity, as well as by disease state and drug treatment. Vamanu [5] reviewed the
prebiotic effects and the role of the polyphenolic component of wild edible mushrooms in the potential health effects of wild edible mush-
rooms as complementary medicine. Probiotics and prebiotics consumption can improve health by microbiota modulation.

Korada et al. [6] reported that the potency of probiotic differs from strain to strain and that more comparison studies are needed in the
direction of probiotic functionality and clinical efficacy of single strains versus multi-strain mixture for a disease prevention and management.
Within mechanisms of probiotic protection on Inflammatory Bowel Disease there is the production of short chain fatty acids, such as the im-
munomodulatory molecule butyrate, by the gut microbiota [7].

On the other hand, hormones have significant roles in inflammatory and immune mediated diseases. Yang et al. [8] reviewed the influ-
ence of hormones on Sjögren’s syndrome, including adrenocorticotropic hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, thy-
roid-stimulating hormone and prolactin. Authors concluded that hormonal influence can account of the high prevalence in females and elderly
people. Furthermore, being immune system primarily involved in Sjögren’s syndrome, also genetic polymorphisms in human leukocyte anti-
gen play a role in disease pathogenesis [9].

Therefore, hormonal imbalance, genetic polymorphisms and microbiota diversity suggest that the concept of integrative medicine should
be associated with that of personalized medicine. In this context, new trends in diagnosis and therapy include nanotechnology, having poten-
tial application in personalized health care. The latter, including personalized nutrition, physical activity and outdoor lifestyle, has been sug-
gested for veterans with disabilities by Ciccotti et al. [10].

However, sunlight exposure may increase the incidence of eye diseases, including pterygium. In this context, Zein et al. [11] performed a
meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy and complications of autologous blood versus using fibrin glue and sur-
gical sutures for conjunctival autograft fixation in primary pterygium surgery. Patient satisfaction and postoperative symptoms are relatively
better in the blood coagulum group than the other techniques [11].

In conclusion, we hope that this issue can add knowledge on the effects of bioactive molecules from foods and herbal extracts on chronic
diseases and on the role of microbiota, genetic factors and hormones in diseases diagnosis and management.

In closure, we end this editorial by thanking Dr. William A. Banks, the Editor-in-Chief, as well as Bentham Science Publishers, the Direc-
tor Kazim Baig and the Editorial Assistant Aamer M. Khan. We extend our appreciation to contributing authors who have actively responded

1873-4286/18 $58.00+.00 © 2018 Bentham Science Publishers

4092 Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2018, Vol. 24, No. 35 Complementary and Integrative Medicine: Personalized Health Care for Cancer

to our request by contributing to this special issue of Current Pharmaceutical Design and the peer reviewers for the time and expertise that
each altruistically provided in reviewing the submitted manuscript.

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Ilaria Peluso1, Mohamed Abdel-Daim2, Nagendra Sastry Yarla3 and Mohammad Amjad Kamal4,5,6

1
Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN), Rome, Italy;
2
Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt; 3Division of Biochemis-
try and Chemistry School of Medicine New York, NY, United States; 4King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz Univer-
sity, P. O. Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; 5Enzymoics, 7 Peterlee Place, Hebersham, NSW 2770; 6Novel Global Community
Educational Foundation, Australia