3 research outputs found
Dual-degree MBBS-MPH programs in Saudi Arabia: A call for implementation
Nowadays, any healthcare problem should be dealt with in a multidisciplinary approach that employs not only treating the symptoms of the problem but also its source. This simply implies the necessity to produce well-rounded medical graduates (physicians) who can competently integrate clinical knowledge/skills (for disease treatment) and public health knowledge/skills (for disease prevention). Moreover, the medical training (MD/MBBS curriculum) largely gives emphasis to the clinical skills needed to treat individual patients, whereas public health training (MPH degree) emphasizes the methods needed to improve the overall community health. Bridging the gap between patients and community is best achieved through a combined multidisciplinary training in both medicine and public health, that is, dual-degree MBBS-MPH programs are the way forward. In United States, for example, there are >80 medical schools that offer such joint MD-MPH programs, whereas there is none in Saudi Arabia. Herein, I call on higher education bodies to implement dual-degree MBBS-MPH programs in Saudi Arabia. To the best of knowledge, this is the first ever report to call for such an innovative implementation. Also, this short communication briefly sheds light on background, rationale, benefits, curriculum design, and future directions of such programs. The implications of this perspective (i.e. dual-degree MBBS-MPH programs) should not be limited to Saudi Arabia only; rather, it should be contemplated by the other medical curricula in the different countries
Cancer stem cell as therapeutic target for melanoma treatment
Human malignant melanoma is a highly
aggressive skin tumor that is characterized by its
extraordinary heterogeneity, propensity for
dissemination to distant organs and resistance to
cytotoxic agents. Although chemo- and immune-based
therapies have been evaluated in clinical trials, most of
these therapeutics do not show significant benefit for
patients with advanced disease. Treatment failure in
melanoma patients is attributed mainly to the
development of tumor heterogeneity resulting from the
formation of genetically divergent subpopulations. These
subpopulations are composed of cancer stem-like cells
(CSCs) as a small fraction and non-cancer stem cells that
form the majority of the tumor mass. In recent years,
CSCs gained more attention and suggested as valuable
experimental model system for tumor study. In
melanoma, intratumoral heterogeneity, progression and
drug resistance result from the unique characteristics of
melanoma stem cells (MSCs). These MSCs are
characterized by their distinct protein signature and
tumor growth-driving pathways, whose activation is
mediated by driver mutation-dependent signal. The
molecular features of MSCs are either in a causal or
consequential relationship to melanoma progression,
drug resistance and relapse. Here, we review the current
scientific evidence that supports CSC hypothesis and the
validity of MSCs-dependent pathways and their key
molecules as potential therapeutic target for melanoma
treatment