Pharmacogenomics

Pharmacogenetics of 6-mercaptopurine in a black Zimbabwean cohort treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Tue, 2023-05-30 06:00

Pharmacogenomics. 2023 May 30. doi: 10.2217/pgs-2023-0026. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background: 6-mercaptopurine usage is associated with myelotoxicity and increased risk in patients carrying metabolism-related genetic variations. This study aimed to determine the frequency of candidate gene polymorphisms and their association with 6-mercaptopurine intolerance. Methods: A total of 41 patients on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treatment were genotyped for TPMT and NUDT15 (rs116855232) alleles, and their association with dose intensity was analyzed. Results: The defective TPMT*3C allele frequency was 9.8%. The median maintenance dose intensity for TPMT*1/*3C participants was considerably lower (47%) when compared with the TPMT*1/*1 wild-type (77%), although not statistically significant. Conclusion: This is the first pharmacogenetics study carried out in a black Zimbabwean leukemia patient cohort. The high defective TPMT*3C (9.8%) allele frequency points to the potential utility of pharmacogenetics testing for safe usage of 6-mercaptopurine in this population.

PMID:37248698 | DOI:10.2217/pgs-2023-0026

Categories: Literature Watch

Pharmaceutical care model in precision medicine in China

Mon, 2023-05-29 06:00

Farm Hosp. 2023 May 27:S1130-6343(23)00040-5. doi: 10.1016/j.farma.2023.04.005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Pharmacy service is to provide individualized pharmaceutical care for patients, which should follow the current evidence-based pharmacy, and constantly verify the evidence and then produce new evidence. In pharmaceutical care, differences are often found in the efficacy and adverse reactions of drugs among individuals, even within individuals, which are closely related to patient's genetics, liver and kidney functions, disease states, and drug interactions. Back in the 1980s, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has been applied to routinely monitor the blood drug concentration of patients taking antiepileptic drugs or immunosuppressants after transplantation to provide individualized dosage recommendations and accumulate a large amount of pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) data. As individualized pharmaceutical care proceeds, the concept of precision medicine was introduced into pharmacy services in combination with evidence-based pharmacy, PK/PD theories and big data to further promote the TDM technology and drugs, and carry out pharmacogenomics analysis. The TDM and pharmacogenomics have been applied gradually to the fields of antimicrobial, antitumor and antipsychotic drugs and immunosuppressants. Based on the concept of precision pharmacy, we adpoted approaches including PK/PD, quantitative pharmacology, population pharmacokinetics, and big data machine learning to provide more personalized pharmacy services, which is mainly for special patients, such as critical patients, patients with interaction risk of multiple drugs, patients with liver and renal insufficiency, pregnant women, children and elderly patients. As the service pattern of precision pharmacy has been constructed and constantly improved, better evidence in clinical practice will be produced to provide patients with better precision pharmacy service.

PMID:37248115 | DOI:10.1016/j.farma.2023.04.005

Categories: Literature Watch

Beginning to address an implementation gap in asthma: clinicians' views of prescribing reliever ICS-formoterol inhalers and SMART in the United States

Sun, 2023-05-28 06:00

J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2023 May 26:S2213-2198(23)00561-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.05.023. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) recently made paradigm-shifting recommendations regarding inhaler management in asthma. GINA now recommends that combination inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-formoterol inhalers replace short-acting β-agonists as the preferred reliever therapy at all steps of management. While the most recent NAEPP guidelines did not review reliever ICS-formoterol usage in mild asthma, they similarly recommend single maintenance and reliever therapy (SMART) at Steps 3-4 of asthma management. Despite these recommendations, many clinicians-particularly in the United States (US)-are not prescribing new inhaler paradigms. Clinician-level reasons for this implementation gap remain largely unexplored.

OBJECTIVE: Guided by a dissemination and implementation science framework, we conducted in-depth interviews of clinicians regarding the facilitators of, and barriers to, prescribing reliever ICS-formoterol in mild asthma and within SMART.

METHODS: Community and academic primary care providers, pulmonologists, and allergists who reported regularly caring for adults with asthma were interviewed. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, qualitatively coded, and analyzed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Interviews were continued until theme saturation.

RESULTS: Among 20 interviewed clinicians, only 6 clinicians described regularly prescribing ICS-formoterol inhalers as a reliever inhaler (either alone or within SMART). Significant barriers to new inhaler approaches included concerns surrounding a lack of Food and Drug Administration labeling for ICS-formoterol as a reliever therapy, a lack of awareness regarding a patient's formulary-preferred ICS-long-acting β-agonist choices, the high cost of combination inhalers, and time constraints. Facilitators to utilizing new inhaler approaches included clinicians' beliefs that the latest inhaler recommendations are simpler, more congruent with real-world patients' behavior, and that a potential change in management strategy would offer a valuable opportunity for shared decision making.

CONCLUSIONS: While new guidelines exist in asthma, many clinicians described significant barriers to utilizing them including medico-legal issues, pharmaceutical formulary confusion, and high drug costs. Nonetheless, most clinicians believed the latest inhaler approaches would be more intuitive for their patients and offer an opportunity for patient-centered collaboration and care. Stakeholders may find these results useful in future attempts to increase the real-world adoption of recent asthma recommendations.

PMID:37245736 | DOI:10.1016/j.jaip.2023.05.023

Categories: Literature Watch

Mapping the regulatory effects of herbal organic compounds on gut bacteria

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Pharmacol Res. 2023 May 25:106804. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106804. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:37244386 | DOI:10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106804

Categories: Literature Watch

Machine Learning Application Identifies Germline Markers of Hypertension in Ovarian Cancer Patients Treated with Carboplatin, Taxane and Bevacizumab

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2023 May 27. doi: 10.1002/cpt.2960. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Pharmacogenomics studies how genes influence a person's response to treatment. When complex phenotypes are influenced by multiple genetic variations with little effect, a single piece of genetic information is often insufficient to explain this variability. The application of machine learning (ML) in pharmacogenomics holds great potential; namely, it can be used to unravel complicated genetic relationships that could explain response to therapy. In this study, ML techniques were used to investigate the relationship between genetic variations affecting more than 60 candidate genes and carboplatin-, taxane-, and bevacizumab-induced toxicities in 171 patients with ovarian cancer enrolled in the MITO-16A/MaNGO-OV2A trial. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profiles were examined using ML to find and prioritise those associated with drug-induced toxicities, specifically hypertension, hematological toxicity, non-hematological toxicity, and proteinuria. The Boruta algorithm was used in cross-validation to determine the significance of SNPs in predicting toxicities. Important SNPs were then used to train eXtreme gradient boosting models. During cross-validation, the models achieved reliable performance with a Matthews correlation coefficient ranging from 0.375 to 0.410. A total of 43 SNPs critical for predicting toxicity were identified. For each toxicity, key SNPs were used to create a polygenic toxicity risk score that effectively divided individuals into high-risk and low-risk categories. In particular, compared with low-risk individuals, high-risk patients were 28- fold more likely to develop hypertension. The proposed method provided insightful data to improve precision medicine for ovarian cancer patients, which may be useful for reducing toxicities and improving toxicity management.

PMID:37243926 | DOI:10.1002/cpt.2960

Categories: Literature Watch

<em>MKX-AS1</em> Gene Expression Associated with Variation in Drug Response to Oxaliplatin and Clinical Outcomes in Colorectal Cancer Patients

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 May 17;16(5):757. doi: 10.3390/ph16050757.

ABSTRACT

Oxaliplatin (OXAL) is a commonly used chemotherapy for treating colorectal cancer (CRC). A recent genome wide association study (GWAS) showed that a genetic variant (rs11006706) in the lncRNA gene MKX-AS1 and partnered sense gene MKX could impact the response of genetically varied cell lines to OXAL treatment. This study found that the expression levels of MKX-AS1 and MKX in lymphocytes (LCLs) and CRC cell lines differed between the rs11006706 genotypes, indicating that this gene pair could play a role in OXAL response. Further analysis of patient survival data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and other sources showed that patients with high MKX-AS1 expression status had significantly worse overall survival (HR = 3.2; 95%CI = (1.17-9); p = 0.024) compared to cases with low MKX-AS1 expression status. Alternatively, high MKX expression status had significantly better overall survival (HR = 0.22; 95%CI = (0.07-0.7); p = 0.01) compared to cases with low MKX expression status. These results suggest an association between MKX-AS1 and MKX expression status that could be useful as a prognostic marker of response to OXAL and potential patient outcomes in CRC.

PMID:37242540 | DOI:10.3390/ph16050757

Categories: Literature Watch

<em>RYK</em> Gene Expression Associated with Drug Response Variation of Temozolomide and Clinical Outcomes in Glioma Patients

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 May 10;16(5):726. doi: 10.3390/ph16050726.

ABSTRACT

Temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy is an important tool in the treatment of glioma brain tumors. However, variable patient response and chemo-resistance remain exceptionally challenging. Our previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified a suggestively significant association of SNP rs4470517 in the RYK (receptor-like kinase) gene with TMZ drug response. Functional validation of RYK using lymphocytes and glioma cell lines resulted in gene expression analysis indicating differences in expression status between genotypes of the cell lines and TMZ dose response. We conducted univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses using publicly available TCGA and GEO datasets to investigate the impact of RYK gene expression status on glioma patient overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Our results indicated that in IDH mutant gliomas, RYK expression and tumor grade were significant predictors of survival. In IDH wildtype glioblastomas (GBM), MGMT status was the only significant predictor. Despite this result, we revealed a potential benefit of RYK expression in IDH wildtype GBM patients. We found that a combination of RYK expression and MGMT status could serve as an additional biomarker for improved survival. Overall, our findings suggest that RYK expression may serve as an important prognostic or predictor of TMZ response and survival for glioma patients.

PMID:37242509 | DOI:10.3390/ph16050726

Categories: Literature Watch

Trial of a Novel Oral Cannabinoid Formulation in Patients with Hypertension: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pharmacogenetic Study

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Apr 25;16(5):645. doi: 10.3390/ph16050645.

ABSTRACT

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, and available evidence suggests potential efficacy in the treatment of many disorders. DehydraTECH™2.0 CBD is a patented capsule formulation that improves the bioabsorption of CBD. We sought to compare the effects of CBD and DehydraTECH™2.0 CBD based on polymorphisms in CYP P450 genes and investigate the effects of a single CBD dose on blood pressure. In a randomized and double-blinded order, 12 females and 12 males with reported hypertension were given either placebo capsules or DehydraTECH™2.0 CBD (300 mg of CBD, each). Blood pressure and heart rate were measured during 3 h, and blood and urine samples were collected. In the first 20 min following the dose, there was a greater reduction in diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.025) and mean arterial pressure MAP (p = 0.056) with DehydraTECH™2.0 CBD, which was probably due to its greater CBD bioavailability. In the CYP2C9*2*3 enzyme, subjects with the poor metabolizer (PM) phenotype had higher plasma CBD concentrations. Both CYP2C19*2 (p = 0.037) and CYP2C19*17 (p = 0.022) were negatively associated with urinary CBD levels (beta = -0.489 for CYP2C19*2 and beta = -0.494 for CYP2C19*17). Further research is required to establish the impact of CYP P450 enzymes and the identification of metabolizer phenotype for the optimization of CBD formulations.

PMID:37242428 | DOI:10.3390/ph16050645

Categories: Literature Watch

Precision Medicine in Fatty Liver Disease/Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

J Pers Med. 2023 May 14;13(5):830. doi: 10.3390/jpm13050830.

ABSTRACT

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease, and is related to fatal and non-fatal liver, metabolic, and cardiovascular complications. Its non-invasive diagnosis and effective treatment remain an unmet clinical need. NAFLD is a heterogeneous disease that is most commonly present in the context of metabolic syndrome and obesity, but not uncommonly, may also be present without metabolic abnormalities and in subjects with normal body mass index. Therefore, a more specific pathophysiology-based subcategorization of fatty liver disease (FLD) is needed to better understand, diagnose, and treat patients with FLD. A precision medicine approach for FLD is expected to improve patient care, decrease long-term disease outcomes, and develop better-targeted, more effective treatments. We present herein a precision medicine approach for FLD based on our recently proposed subcategorization, which includes the metabolic-associated FLD (MAFLD) (i.e., obesity-associated FLD (OAFLD), sarcopenia-associated FLD (SAFLD, and lipodystrophy-associated FLD (LAFLD)), genetics-associated FLD (GAFLD), FLD of multiple/unknown causes (XAFLD), and combined causes of FLD (CAFLD) as well as advanced stage fibrotic FLD (FAFLD) and end-stage FLD (ESFLD) subcategories. These and other related advances, as a whole, are expected to enable not only improved patient care, quality of life, and long-term disease outcomes, but also a considerable reduction in healthcare system costs associated with FLD, along with more options for better-targeted, more effective treatments in the near future.

PMID:37241000 | DOI:10.3390/jpm13050830

Categories: Literature Watch

Pharmacogenetic Analysis Enables Optimization of Pain Therapy: A Case Report of Ineffective Oxycodone Therapy

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

J Pers Med. 2023 May 13;13(5):829. doi: 10.3390/jpm13050829.

ABSTRACT

Patients suffering from chronic pain may respond differently to analgesic medications. For some, pain relief is insufficient, while others experience side effects. Although pharmacogenetic testing is rarely performed in the context of analgesics, response to opiates, non-opioid analgesics, and antidepressants for the treatment of neuropathic pain can be affected by genetic variants. We describe a female patient who suffered from a complex chronic pain syndrome due to a disc hernia. Due to insufficient response to oxycodone, fentanyl, and morphine in addition to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced side effects reported in the past, we performed panel-based pharmacogenotyping and compiled a medication recommendation. The ineffectiveness of opiates could be explained by a combined effect of the decreased activity in cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6), an increased activity in CYP3A, and an impaired drug response at the µ-opioid receptor. Decreased activity for CYP2C9 led to a slowed metabolism of ibuprofen and thus increased the risk for gastrointestinal side effects. Based on these findings we recommended hydromorphone and paracetamol, of which the metabolism was not affected by genetic variants. Our case report illustrates that an in-depth medication review including pharmacogenetic analysis can be helpful for patients with complex pain syndrome. Our approach highlights how genetic information could be applied to analyze a patient's history of medication ineffectiveness or poor tolerability and help to find better treatment options.

PMID:37240999 | DOI:10.3390/jpm13050829

Categories: Literature Watch

Sex Differences in Opioid Response Linked to <em>OPRM1</em> and <em>COMT</em> genes DNA Methylation/Genotypes Changes in Patients with Chronic Pain

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

J Clin Med. 2023 May 13;12(10):3449. doi: 10.3390/jcm12103449.

ABSTRACT

Analgesic-response variability in chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) has been reported due to several biological and environmental factors. This study was undertaken to explore sex differences linked to OPRM1 and COMT DNA methylation changes and genetic variants in analgesic response. A retrospective study with 250 real-world CNCP outpatients was performed in which data from demographic, clinical, and pharmacological variables were collected. DNA methylation levels (CpG island) were evaluated by pyrosequencing, and their interaction with the OPRM1 (A118G) and COMT (G472A) gene polymorphisms was studied. A priori-planned statistical analyses were conducted to compare responses between females and males. Sex-differential OPRM1 DNA methylation was observed to be linked to lower opioid use disorder (OUD) cases for females (p = 0.006). Patients with lower OPRM1 DNA methylation and the presence of the mutant G-allele reduced opioid dose requirements (p = 0.001), equal for both sexes. Moreover, COMT DNA methylation levels were negatively related to pain relief (p = 0.020), quality of life (p = 0.046), and some adverse events (probability > 90%) such as constipation, insomnia, or nervousness. Females were, significantly, 5 years older with high anxiety levels and a different side-effects distribution than males. The analyses demonstrated significant differences between females and males related to OPRM1 signalling efficiency and OUD, with a genetic-epigenetic interaction in opioid requirements. These findings support the importance of sex as a biological variable to be factored into chronic pain-management studies.

PMID:37240556 | DOI:10.3390/jcm12103449

Categories: Literature Watch

Are Genetic Modifiers the Answer to Different Responses to Hydroxyurea Treatment?-A Pharmacogenetic Study in Sickle Cell Anemia Angolan Children

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 May 15;24(10):8792. doi: 10.3390/ijms24108792.

ABSTRACT

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an inherited disease affecting the hemoglobin that is particularly common in sub-Saharan Africa. Although monogenic, phenotypes are markedly heterogeneous in terms of severity and life span. Hydroxyurea is still the most common treatment for these patients, and the response to treatment is highly variable and seems to be an inherited trait. Therefore, identifying the variants that might predict hydroxyurea response is important for identifying patients who will have a poorer or non-response to treatment, and the ones that are more prone to suffer from severe side effects. In the present pharmacogenetic study, we analyzed the exons of 77 genes described in the literature as potentially associated with hydroxyurea metabolism in Angolan children treated with hydroxyurea and evaluated the drug response considering fetal hemoglobin levels, other hematological and biochemical parameters, hemolysis, number of vaso-occlusive crises and hospitalizations. Thirty variants were identified in 18 of those genes as possibly associated with drug response, five of them in gene DCHS2. Other polymorphisms in this gene were also associated with hematological, biochemical and clinical parameters. Further research examining the maximum tolerated dose and fixed dose with a larger sample size is necessary to corroborate these findings.

PMID:37240136 | DOI:10.3390/ijms24108792

Categories: Literature Watch

Impact of Functional Polymorphisms on Drug Survival of Biological Therapies in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 May 12;24(10):8703. doi: 10.3390/ijms24108703.

ABSTRACT

Biological therapies (BTs) indicated for psoriasis are highly effective; however, not all patients obtain good results, and loss of effectiveness is the main reason for switching. Genetic factors may be involved. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the drug survival of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (anti-TNF) medications and ustekinumab (UTK) in patients diagnosed with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. We conducted an ambispective observational cohort study that included 379 lines of treatment with anti-TNF (n = 247) and UTK (132) in 206 white patients from southern Spain and Italy. The genotyping of the 29 functional SNPs was carried out using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with TaqMan probes. Drug survival was evaluated with Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier curves. The multivariate analysis showed that the HLA-C rs12191877-T (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.560; 95% CI = 0.40-0.78; p = 0.0006) and TNF-1031 (rs1799964-C) (HR = 0.707; 95% CI = 0.50-0.99; p = 0.048) polymorphisms are associated with anti-TNF drug survival, while TLR5 rs5744174-G (HR = 0.589; 95% CI = 0.37-0.92; p = 0.02), CD84 rs6427528-GG (HR = 0.557; 95% CI = 0.35-0.88; p = 0.013) and PDE3A rs11045392-T together with SLCO1C1 rs3794271-T (HR = 0.508; 95% CI = 0.32-0.79; p = 0.002) are related to UTK survival. The limitations are the sample size and the clustering of anti-TNF drugs; we used a homogeneous cohort of patients from 2 hospitals only. In conclusion, SNPs in the HLA-C, TNF, TLR5, CD84, PDE3A, and SLCO1C1 genes may be useful as biomarkers of drug survival of BTs indicated for psoriasis, making it possible to implement personalized medicine that will reduce financial healthcare costs, facilitate medical decision-making and improve patient quality of life. However, further pharmacogenetic studies need to be conducted to confirm these associations.

PMID:37240048 | DOI:10.3390/ijms24108703

Categories: Literature Watch

Can Pharmacogenetic Variants in <em>TPMT</em>, <em>MTHFR</em> and <em>SLCO1B1</em> Genes Be Used as Potential Markers of Outcome Prediction in Systemic Sclerosis Patients?

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 May 10;24(10):8538. doi: 10.3390/ijms24108538.

ABSTRACT

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disorder with highest morbidity and mortality among rheumatologic diseases. Disease progression is highly heterogeneous between patients, implying a strong need for individualization of therapy. Four pharmacogenetic variants, namely TPMT rs1800460, TPMT rs1142345, MTHFR rs1801133 and SLCO1B1 rs4149056 were tested for association with severe disease outcomes in 102 patients with SSc from Serbia treated either with immunosuppressants azathioprine (AZA) and methotrexate (MTX) or with other types of medications. Genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP and direct Sanger sequencing. R software was used for statistical analysis and development of polygenic risk score (PRS) model. Association was found between MTHFR rs1801133 and higher risk for elevated systolic pressure in all patients except those prescribed with MTX, and higher risk for kidney insufficiency in patients prescribed with other types of drugs. In patients treated with MTX, variant SLCO1B1 rs4149056 was protective against kidney insufficiency. For patients receiving MTX a trend was shown for having a higher PRS rank and elevated systolic pressure. Our results open a door wide for more extensive research on pharmacogenomics markers in patients with SSc. Altogether, pharmacogenomics markers could predict the outcome of patients with SSc and help in prevention of adverse drug reactions.

PMID:37239884 | DOI:10.3390/ijms24108538

Categories: Literature Watch

Extended Exposure Topotecan Significantly Improves Long-Term Drug Sensitivity by Decreasing Malignant Cell Heterogeneity and by Preventing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 May 9;24(10):8490. doi: 10.3390/ijms24108490.

ABSTRACT

Maximum tolerable dosing (MTD) of chemotherapeutics has long been the gold standard for aggressive malignancies. Recently, alternative dosing strategies have gained traction for their improved toxicity profiles and unique mechanisms of action, such as inhibition of angiogenesis and stimulation of immunity. In this article, we investigated whether extended exposure (EE) topotecan could improve long-term drug sensitivity by preventing drug resistance. To achieve significantly longer exposure times, we used a spheroidal model system of castration-resistant prostate cancer. We also used state-of-the-art transcriptomic analysis to further elucidate any underlying phenotypic changes that occurred in the malignant population following each treatment. We determined that EE topotecan had a much higher barrier to resistance relative to MTD topotecan and was able to maintain consistent efficacy throughout the study period (EE IC50 of 54.4 nM (Week 6) vs. MTD IC50 of 2200 nM (Week 6) vs. 83.8 nM IC50 for control (Week 6) vs. 37.8 nM IC50 for control (Week 0)). As a possible explanation for these results, we determined that MTD topotecan stimulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), upregulated efflux pumps, and produced altered topoisomerases relative to EE topotecan. Overall, EE topotecan resulted in a more sustained treatment response and maintained a less aggressive malignant phenotype relative to MTD topotecan.

PMID:37239838 | DOI:10.3390/ijms24108490

Categories: Literature Watch

Digital Therapeutics (DTx) Expand Multimodal Treatment Options for Chronic Low Back Pain: The Nexus of Precision Medicine, Patient Education, and Public Health

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Healthcare (Basel). 2023 May 18;11(10):1469. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11101469.

ABSTRACT

Digital therapeutics (DTx, software as a medical device) provide personalized treatments for chronic diseases and expand precision medicine beyond pharmacogenomics-based pharmacotherapies. In this perspective article, we describe how DTx for chronic low back pain (CLBP) can be integrated with pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., NSAIDs, opioids), physical therapy (PT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and patient empowerment. An example of an FDA-authorized DTx for CLBP is RelieVRx, a prescription virtual reality (VR) app that reduces pain severity as an adjunct treatment for moderate to severe low back pain. RelieVRx is an immersive VR system that delivers at-home pain management modalities, including relaxation, self-awareness, pain distraction, guided breathing, and patient education. The mechanism of action of DTx is aligned with recommendations from the American College of Physicians to use non-pharmacological modalities as the first-line therapy for CLBP. Herein, we discuss how DTx can provide multimodal therapy options integrating conventional treatments with exposome-responsive, just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAI). Given the flexibility of software-based therapies to accommodate diverse digital content, we also suggest that music-induced analgesia can increase the clinical effectiveness of digital interventions for chronic pain. DTx offers opportunities to simultaneously address the chronic pain crisis and opioid epidemic while supporting patients and healthcare providers to improve therapy outcomes.

PMID:37239755 | DOI:10.3390/healthcare11101469

Categories: Literature Watch

The Role of Pharmacogenetics in Personalizing the Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Therapy

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Genes (Basel). 2023 May 16;14(5):1095. doi: 10.3390/genes14051095.

ABSTRACT

Pharmacotherapy for neuropsychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression, has been characterized by significant inter-individual variability in drug response and the development of side effects. Pharmacogenetics, as a key part of personalized medicine, aims to optimize therapy according to a patient's individual genetic signature by targeting genetic variations involved in pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic processes. Pharmacokinetic variability refers to variations in a drug's absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination, whereas pharmacodynamic variability results from variable interactions of an active drug with its target molecules. Pharmacogenetic research on depression and anxiety has focused on genetic polymorphisms affecting metabolizing cytochrome P450 (CYP) and uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes, P-glycoprotein ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, and monoamine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolic enzymes, transporters, and receptors. Recent pharmacogenetic studies have revealed that more efficient and safer treatments with antidepressants and anxiolytics could be achieved through genotype-guided decisions. However, because pharmacogenetics cannot explain all observed heritable variations in drug response, an emerging field of pharmacoepigenetics investigates how epigenetic mechanisms, which modify gene expression without altering the genetic code, might influence individual responses to drugs. By understanding the epi(genetic) variability of a patient's response to pharmacotherapy, clinicians could select more effective drugs while minimizing the likelihood of adverse reactions and therefore improve the quality of treatment.

PMID:37239455 | DOI:10.3390/genes14051095

Categories: Literature Watch

Genetic Predictors of Antipsychotic Efflux Impairment via Blood-Brain Barrier: Role of Transport Proteins

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Genes (Basel). 2023 May 15;14(5):1085. doi: 10.3390/genes14051085.

ABSTRACT

Antipsychotic (AP)-induced adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a current problem of biological and clinical psychiatry. Despite the development of new generations of APs, the problem of AP-induced ADRs has not been solved and continues to be actively studied. One of the important mechanisms for the development of AP-induced ADRs is a genetically-determined impairment of AP efflux across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We present a narrative review of publications in databases (PubMed, Springer, Scopus, Web of Science E-Library) and online resources: The Human Protein Atlas; GeneCards: The Human Gene Database; US National Library of Medicine; SNPedia; OMIM Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man; The PharmGKB. The role of 15 transport proteins involved in the efflux of drugs and other xenobiotics across cell membranes (P-gp, TAP1, TAP2, MDR3, BSEP, MRP1, MRP2, MRP3, MRP4, MRP5, MRP6, MRP7, MRP8, MRP9, BCRP) was analyzed. The important role of three transporter proteins (P-gp, BCRP, MRP1) in the efflux of APs through the BBB was shown, as well as the association of the functional activity and expression of these transport proteins with low-functional and non-functional single nucleotide variants (SNVs)/polymorphisms of the ABCB1, ABCG2, ABCC1 genes, encoding these transport proteins, respectively, in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). The authors propose a new pharmacogenetic panel "Transporter protein (PT)-Antipsychotic (AP) Pharmacogenetic test (PGx)" (PTAP-PGx), which allows the evaluation of the cumulative contribution of the studied genetic biomarkers of the impairment of AP efflux through the BBB. The authors also propose a riskometer for PTAP-PGx and a decision-making algorithm for psychiatrists. Conclusions: Understanding the role of the transportation of impaired APs across the BBB and the use of genetic biomarkers for its disruption may make it possible to reduce the frequency and severity of AP-induced ADRs, since this risk can be partially modified by the personalized selection of APs and their dosing rates, taking into account the genetic predisposition of the patient with SSD.

PMID:37239445 | DOI:10.3390/genes14051085

Categories: Literature Watch

Association between Food/UGT2B7 Polymorphisms and Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics Properties of Indapamide in Healthy Humans

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Biomedicines. 2023 May 22;11(5):1501. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11051501.

ABSTRACT

Indapamide is an effective and safe antihypertensive medication showing a beneficial effect in combination with other antihypertensive agents regarding morbidity and mortality. A comparative study was performed under fasting and fed conditions to investigate the effect of food and selected single nucleotide polymorphisms in the uridine diphosphate glucuronyl transferase (UGT2B7) gene on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics behavior of indapamide 1.5 mg sustained release. Forty-nine healthy volunteers aged 18-55 years were randomized into two groups; 25 volunteers were administered indapamide under fasting conditions and 24 under fed conditions. Genotyping of the UGT2B7 rs7438135 and rs11740316 was done before commencing the study using predesigned TaqMan assays. Results showed that food independently decreased the value of indapamide' Tmax by 5.5 h and increased the value of Cmax by 8.7 ng/mL. On the other hand, all genetic variants of both UGT2B7 SNPs had no significant impact on the values of Tmax, Cmax, and AUC0-t; however, it was found that rs11740316 variant AG was correlated with a 2.8 h lower MRTinf. Finally, BMI positively correlated with longer MRTinf. It was concluded that none of rs7438135, rs11740316, or food had a significant impact on the pharmacodynamic properties. Food had a modest impact on indapamide Cmax and Tmax values, while there were unremarkable differences in safety and efficacy.

PMID:37239171 | DOI:10.3390/biomedicines11051501

Categories: Literature Watch

Targeting of microRNA-22 Suppresses Tumor Spread in a Mouse Model of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Sat, 2023-05-27 06:00

Biomedicines. 2023 May 18;11(5):1470. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11051470.

ABSTRACT

microRNA-22 (miR-22) is an oncogenic miRNA whose up-regulation promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumor invasion, and metastasis in hormone-responsive breast cancer. Here we show that miR-22 plays a key role in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) by promoting EMT and aggressiveness in 2D and 3D cell models and a mouse xenograft model of human TNBC, respectively. Furthermore, we report that miR-22 inhibition using an LNA-modified antimiR-22 compound is effective in reducing EMT both in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, pharmacologic inhibition of miR-22 suppressed metastatic spread and markedly prolonged survival in mouse xenograft models of metastatic TNBC highlighting the potential of miR-22 silencing as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of TNBC.

PMID:37239141 | DOI:10.3390/biomedicines11051470

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