Systems Biology Approaches and Precision Oral Health: A Circadian Clock Perspective

A vast majority of the pathophysiological and metabolic processes in humans are temporally controlled by a master circadian clock located centrally in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain, as well as by specialized peripheral oscillators located in other body tissues. This circadian clock system generates a rhythmical diurnal transcriptional-translational cycle in clock genes and protein expression and activities regulating numerous downstream target genes. Clock genes as key regulators of physiological function and dysfunction of the circadian clock have been linked to various diseases and multiple morbidities. Emerging omics technologies permits largescale multi-dimensional investigations of the molecular landscape of a given disease and the comprehensive characterization of its underlying cellular components (e.g., proteins, genes, lipids, metabolites), their mechanism of actions, functional networks and regulatory systems. Ultimately, they can be used to better understand disease and interpatient heterogeneity, individual profile, identify personalized targetable key molecules and pathways, discover novel biomarkers and genetic alterations, which collectively can allow for a better patient stratification into clinically relevant subgroups to improve disease prediction and prevention, early diagnostic, clinical outcomes, therapeutic benefits, patient's quality of life and survival. The use of “omics” technologies has allowed for recent breakthroughs in several scientific domains, including in the field of circadian clock biology. Although studies have explored the role of clock genes using circadiOmics (which integrates circadian omics, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) in human disease, no such studies have investigated the implications of circadian disruption in oral, head and neck pathologies using multi-omics approaches and linking the omics data to patient-specific circadian profiles. There is a burgeoning body of evidence that circadian clock controls the development and homeostasis of oral and maxillofacial structures, such as salivary glands, teeth and oral epithelium. Hence, in the current era of precision medicine and dentistry and patient-centered health care, it is becoming evident that a multi-omics approach is needed to improve our understanding of the role of circadian clock-controlled key players in the regulation of head and neck pathologies. This review discusses current knowledge on the role of the circadian clock and the contribution of omics-based approaches toward a novel precision health era for diagnosing and treating head and neck pathologies, with an emphasis on oral, head and neck cancer and Sjögren's syndrome

Pattern of distribution of reactive localised hyperplasia of the oral cavity in patients at a tertiary health institution in Nigeria

Background: Reactive localized hyperplastic lesions of the oral cavity (RHLs) are relatively common peripheral lesions which present as a range of clinically similar lesions at dental centers. Diagnosis can be challenging if dentists are unfamiliar with their clinicopathological across various populations.Objective: This study reviews the pattern of distribution of RHLs of the oral mucosa in a hospital- the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife.Materials and methods: We reviewed 10 years data from the archives of the Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Information on RHLs were extracted and recorded on standardized data forms and analyzed using STATA.Results: The most common lesions were pyogenic granuloma (43.7%) and focal fibrous hyperplasia (39.7%), respectively. RHLs were found to be more frequent in women (66.7%) than men (33.3%). The most common locations of involvement was the gingivae (84.6%), and lesions were more common in the 9–29 year age group and the mean age was 37.7 (±21.1) years. The relationship between age group and reactive lesions was however not statistically significant.Conclusion:  The major benefit of this study is an improved knowledge of the frequency and distribution of oral reactive le- sions in sub-Saharan Africa which may be highly beneficial when establishing a diagnosis and treatment plan in clinical practice.Keywords: Focal fibrous hyperplasia, oral mucosa, peripheral giant cell granuloma, peripheral ossifying fibroma, pyogenic gran- uloma, reactive hyperplasia

“Next generation sequencing identifies mutations in GNPTG gene as a cause of familial form of scleroderma-like disease”

A letter to the editor making some recommendations on the article entitled “Next generation sequencing identifies mutations in GNPTG gene as a cause of familial form of scleroderma-like disease”

in silico verification and parallel reaction monitoring prevalidation of potential prostate cancer biomarkers

Purpose: Targeted proteomics of potential biomarkers is often challenging. Hence, we developed an intermediate workflow to streamline potential urinary biomarkers of prostate cancer (PCa). Materials & methods: Using previously discovered potential PCa biomarkers; we selected proteotypic peptides for targeted validation. Preliminary in silico immunohistochemical and single reaction monitoring (SRM) verification was performed. Successful PTPs were then prevalidated using parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) and reconfirmed in 15 publicly available databases. Results: Stringency-based targetable potential biomarkers were shortlisted following in silico screening. PRM reveals top 12 potential biomarkers including the top ranking seven in silico verification-based biomarkers. Database reconfirmation showed differential expression between PCa and benign/normal prostatic urine samples. Conclusion: The pragmatic penultimate screening step, described herein, would immensely improve targeted proteomics validation of ..

Pattern of distribution of reactive localised hyperplasia of the oral cavity in patients at a tertiary health institution in Nigeria

Background: Reactive localized hyperplastic lesions of the oral cavity (RHLs) are relatively common peripheral lesions which present as a range of clinically similar lesions at dental centers. Diagnosis can be challenging if dentists are unfamiliar with their clinicopathological across various populations. Objective: This study reviews the pattern of distribution of RHLs of the oral mucosa in a hospital- the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife. Materials and methods: We reviewed 10 years data from the archives of the Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Information on RHLs were extracted and recorded on standardized data forms and analyzed using STATA. Results: The most common lesions were pyogenic granuloma (43.7%) and focal fibrous hyperplasia (39.7%), respectively. RHLs were found to be more frequent in women (66.7%) than men (33.3%). The most common locations of involvement was the gingivae (84.6%), and lesions were more common in the 9\u201329 year age group and the mean age was 37.7 (\ub121.1) years. The relationship between age group and reactive lesions was however not statistically significant. Conclusion: The major benefit of this study is an improved knowledge of the frequency and distribution of oral reactive lesions in sub-Saharan Africa which may be highly beneficial when establishing a diagnosis and treatment plan in clinical practice. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.45 Cite as: Soyele OO, Ladeji AM, Adebiyi KE, Adesina OM, Aborisade AO, Olatunji AS, et al. Pattern of distribution of reactive localised hyperplasia of the oral cavity in patients at a tertiary health institution in Nigeria. Afri Health Sci. 2019;19(1). 1687-1694. https://dx.doi. org/10.4314/ ahs. v19i1.4

Phytodentistry in Africa: prospects for head and neck cancers

Background Orthodox dentistry has undergone significant changes in recent times with the introduction of various omics and molecular targeted therapies both at the experimental/trial and clinical implementation level. Although, significant milestones have been achieved in the molecular dentistry field in the past decade, there remains a dearth of application of phytopharmacological innovation in personalized and targeted therapies for dental diseases. Main body From time immemorial, plant products have long been an integral aspect of dental practice ranging from chewing sticks/herbal kinds of toothpaste to dental/impression materials. The current era of precision medicine seeks to apply a multipronged molecular and bio-computational approaches to solve fundamental medical problems that have hitherto remained difficult. Remarkable changes in the molecular/omics era, have transformed empirical therapies into personalized/individualized ones. Furthermore, the combinatorial application and the widespread introduction of high-throughput molecular tools such as pharmacogenomics, phytopharmacology, metabolomics, mathematical modelling, and genetic engineering inter alia, has tremendously improved the diagnostic and therapeutic landscape of medicine. Additionally, the variable molecular epidemiology of diseases among different population and emerging molecular evidence warrants the use of customized novel theranostic techniques. Unfortunately, the footprint of such emerging application is sparse in dental diseases such as maxillofacial cancers. Conclusion Hence, this review seeks to evaluate the potential application of phytopharmacological approaches to head and neck cancers in a resource-limited environment, such as Africa

Omics-based molecular techniques in oral pathology centred cancer: Prospect and challenges in Africa

: The completion of the human genome project and the accomplished milestones in the human proteome project; as well as the progress made so far in computational bioinformatics and “big data” processing have contributed immensely to individualized/personalized medicine in the developed world.At the dawn of precision medicine, various omics-based therapies and bioengineering can now be applied accurately for the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and risk stratifcation of cancer in a manner that was hitherto not thought possible. The widespread introduction of genomics and other omics-based approaches into the postgraduate training curriculum of diverse medical and dental specialties, including pathology has improved the profciency of practitioners in the use of novel molecular signatures in patient management. In addition, intricate details about disease disparity among diferent human populations are beginning to emerge. This would facilitate the use of tailor-made novel theranostic methods based on emerging molecular evidences

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Nanobiotechnology in regenerative dental medicine

Nanotechnology harnesses the phenomenal atomic and molecular behaviour of materials at a nanoscale size (1–100 nm) to provide solutions to a vast array of scientific applications. Although nanomaterials are commonly classified as carbon-based, organic-based, inorganic-based and composite-based, there are several other classification systems (based on chemical composition, shape, origin, dimensionality and crystallinity). The use of nanobiomaterials finds crucial use in all domains of regenerative tissue engineering, including cellular therapies (mostly stem cells), hybrid biomimetic organic–inorganic materials, as well as artificial/purely inorganic prosthetic devices. Although the field of regenerative nanomedicine has gained significant popularity, regenerative nanodentistry and its potential manifold applications in the era of precision medicine still needs to be promoted, to bring much desired advancement to the field of individualized/precision dentistry. Dental tissues like the rest of human tissues are made up of molecules, and the application of nanotechnology to molecular science will foster remarkable progress in regenerative nano-dental science problem management, leveraging molecular knowledge to improve and maintain “molecular-scale” dental health. Despite the invaluable promise of regenerative nanodentistry, ethicolegal, regulatory, privacy, metaphysical, equity, safety, social security and public acceptance issues, viz-a-viz its use, persists. Hence, this review focuses on discussing the current and potential applications of note in the field of nanobiotechnology in regenerative dental medicine