Pharmacogenomics

Polygenic risk scores: An overview from bench to bedside for personalised medicine

Mon, 2022-11-28 06:00

Front Genet. 2022 Nov 11;13:1000667. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1000667. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Since the first polygenic risk score (PRS) in 2007, research in this area has progressed significantly. The increasing number of SNPs that have been identified by large scale GWAS analyses has fuelled the development of a myriad of PRSs for a wide variety of diseases and, more recently, to PRSs that potentially identify differential response to specific drugs. PRSs constitute a composite genomic biomarker and potential applications for PRSs in clinical practice encompass risk prediction and disease screening, early diagnosis, prognostication, and drug stratification to improve efficacy or reduce adverse drug reactions. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, no PRSs have yet been adopted into routine clinical practice. Beyond the technical considerations of PRS development, the major challenges that face PRSs include demonstrating clinical utility and circumnavigating the implementation of novel genomic technologies at scale into stretched healthcare systems. In this review, we discuss progress in developing disease susceptibility PRSs across multiple medical specialties, development of pharmacogenomic PRSs, and future directions for the field.

PMID:36437929 | PMC:PMC9692112 | DOI:10.3389/fgene.2022.1000667

Categories: Literature Watch

Pharmacogenomic Testing for Major Depression: A Qualitative Study of the Perceptions of People with Lived Experience and Professional Stakeholders

Mon, 2022-11-28 06:00

Can J Psychiatry. 2022 Nov 28:7067437221140383. doi: 10.1177/07067437221140383. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: With increasing evidence for the clinical utility of pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing for depression, there is a growing need to consider issues related to the clinical implementation of this testing. The perspectives of key stakeholders (both people with lived experience [PWLE] and providers) are critical, but not frequently explored. The purpose of this study was to understand how PWLE and healthcare providers/policy experts (P/HCPs) perceive PGx testing for depression, to inform the consideration of clinical implementation within the healthcare system in British Columbia (BC), Canada.

METHODS: We recruited two cohorts of participants to complete individual 1-h, semi-structured interviews: (a) PWLE, recruited from patient and research engagement networks and organizations and (b) P/HCPs, recruited via targeted invitation. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, de-identified, and analysed using interpretive description.

RESULTS: Seventeen interviews were completed with PWLE (7 with experience of PGx testing for depression; 10 without); 15 interviews were completed with P/HCPs (family physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, pharmacists, genetic counsellors, medical geneticists, lab technologists, program directors, and insurers). Visual models of PWLE's and P/HCP's perceptions of and attitudes towards PGx testing were developed separately, but both were heavily influenced by participants' prior professional and/or personal experiences with depression and/or PGx testing. Both groups expressed a need for evidence and numerous considerations for the implementation of PGx testing in BC, including the requirement for conclusive economic analyses, patient and provider education, technological and clinical support, local testing facilities, and measures to ensure equitable access to testing.

CONCLUSIONS: While hopeful about the potential for therapeutic benefit from PGx testing, PWLE and P/HCPs see the need for robust evidence of utility, and BC-wide infrastructure and policies to ensure equitable and effective access to PGx testing. Further research into the accessibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of various implementation strategies is needed to inform PGx testing use in BC.

PMID:36437757 | DOI:10.1177/07067437221140383

Categories: Literature Watch

The ANKK1/DRD2 gene TaqIA polymorphism (rs1800497) is associated with the severity of extrapyramidal side effects of haloperidol treatment in CYP2D6 extensive metabolizers with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Mon, 2022-11-28 06:00

Drug Metab Pers Ther. 2022 Nov 28. doi: 10.1515/dmpt-2022-0143. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) are one of the most prominent side effects of haloperidol. Variability of EPS severity may be associated with the genetic factors, affecting both haloperidol pharmacokinetics (e.g., CYP2D6) and pharmacodynamics (e.g., DRD2, ANKK1). We conducted a 3-week prospective study to investigate the associations of ANKK1/DRD2 TaqIA (rs1800497), DRD2 -141C Ins/Del (rs1799732) polymorphisms and CYP2D6 metabolic phenotype on the efficacy of haloperidol treatment and severity of EPS in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

METHODS: In total, 57 inpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (24 (42.1%)) females; age -46.7 (11.8) years (M(SD)) of European ancestry were enrolled. BARS and SAS scales were used to assess EPS. PANSS and CGI scales - to assess the efficacy of haloperidol treatment. Genotyping was performed by real-time PCR. CYP2D6 metabolic phenotype was predicted by the CYP2D6 *3, *4, *5, *6, *9, *10, *41 and xN genotypes.

RESULTS: Minor C allele of TaqIA was associated with higher scores of BARS (p=0.029) and SAS (p=0.024) on day 21 and minor Del allele of -141C Ins/Del - with more prominent clinical improvement by CGI scale (p=0.007) but not by PANSS. These differences were observed only in extensive CYP2D6 metabolizers, although no associations with the metabolic type itself were found. General linear model showed that the combination of TaqIA genotype and metabolic type was significantly associated with BARS score on day 21 (p=0.013).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the importance of using both pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic genetic markers for predicting haloperidol treatment response to personalize schizophrenia spectrum disorders treatment.

PMID:36437548 | DOI:10.1515/dmpt-2022-0143

Categories: Literature Watch

Pharmacogenetics as a predictor chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy in gynecologic cancer patients treated with Taxane-based chemotherapy

Sat, 2022-11-26 06:00

Gynecol Oncol. 2022 Nov 23;168:114-118. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2022.10.021. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study investigated whether there are pharmacogenomic markers predictive of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) as a result of taxane-based chemotherapy.

METHODS: Patients were enrolled from August 2020 to November 2020 in a prospective, case-control trial evaluating pharmacogenetic predictors of CIPN. All women were treated with at least 3 cycles of taxane-based chemotherapy for histologically confirmed gynecologic malignancies. Buccal saliva samples were used to test for 32 drug metabolism variations. All testing was performed by ⍺LPHA-GENOMIX laboratories. Fisher's Exact test was used to assess for event differences of categorical variables.

RESULTS: Of 102 enrolled patients, 58%, 28%, and 14% had ovarian, endometrial, or cervical cancers, respectively. The median age was 67, 72% were Caucasian and 25% were African American. 16% of patients were treated with 3-4 cycles, 57% received 5-7 cycles, and 27% received 8 or more cycles of chemotherapy that included paclitaxel. Grade 2 CIPN was experienced by 51 patients. There was no difference in age, race, disease site, or number of chemotherapy cycles (p > 0.05) between those who did or did not develop CIPN. CYP2D6 genotype (p = 0.009) and CYP3A5 genotype (p = 0.023) had different frequencies among those with and without CIPN. Patients classified as having poor or intermediate function of CYP2D6 had increased risk of CIPN (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.04-2.57, p = 0.026). There was no difference in CYP2D6 phenotype by race (p = 0.29). No patients with normal function of CYP3A5 developed CIPN. There were no Caucasians with normal function of CYP3A5, but 28% of African Americans had normal CYP3A5 function (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacogenomics appear associated with the development of CIPN and may be able to help personalize treatment decision making.

PMID:36434945 | DOI:10.1016/j.ygyno.2022.10.021

Categories: Literature Watch

Analysis of serum circulating MicroRNAs level in Malaysian patients with gestational diabetes mellitus

Sat, 2022-11-26 06:00

Sci Rep. 2022 Nov 24;12(1):20295. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-23816-3.

ABSTRACT

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a severe global issue that requires immediate attention. MicroRNA expression abnormalities are possibly disease-specific and may contribute to GDM pathological processes. To date, there is limited data on miRNA profiling in GDM, especially that involves a longitudinal study. Here, we performed miRNA expression profiling in the entire duration of pregnancy (during pregnancy until parturition and postpartum) using a miRNA- polymerase chain reaction array (miRNA-PCRArray) and in-silico analysis to identify unique miRNAs expression and their anticipated target genes in Malay maternal serum. MiRNA expression levels and their unique potential as biomarkers were explored in this work. In GDM patients, the expression levels of hsa-miR-193a, hsa-miR-21, hsa-miR-23a, and hsa-miR-361 were significantly increased, but miR-130a was significantly downregulated. The area under the curve (AUC) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve study demonstrated that hsa-miR-193a (AUC = 0.89060 ± 04,470, P = 0.0001), hsa-miR-21 (AUC = 0.89500 ± 04,411, P = 0.0001), and miR-130a (AUC = 0.6939 ± 0.05845, P = 0.0025) had potential biomarker features in GDM. In-silico analysis also revealed that KLF (Kruppel-Like family of transcription factor), ZNF25 (Zinc finger protein 25), AFF4 (ALF transcription elongation factor 4), C1orf143 (long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 2869), SRSF2 (serine and arginine rich splicing factor 2), and ZNF655 (Zinc finger protein 655) were prominent genes targeted by the common nodes of miR23a, miR130, miR193a, miR21, and miR361.Our findings suggest that circulating microRNAs in the first trimester has the potential for GDM screening in the Malay population.

PMID:36434110 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-23816-3

Categories: Literature Watch

Relevance of <em>CYP2D6</em> Gene Variants in Population Genetic Differentiation

Sat, 2022-11-26 06:00

Pharmaceutics. 2022 Nov 16;14(11):2481. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112481.

ABSTRACT

A significant portion of the variability in complex features, such as drug response, is likely caused by human genetic diversity. One of the highly polymorphic pharmacogenes is CYP2D6, encoding an enzyme involved in the metabolism of about 25% of commonly prescribed drugs. In a directed search of the 1000 Genomes Phase III variation data, 86 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CYP2D6 gene were extracted from the genotypes of 2504 individuals from 26 populations, and then used to reconstruct haplotypes. Analyses were performed using Haploview, Phase, and Arlequin softwares. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity were high in all populations, but highest in populations of African ancestry. Pairwise FST showed significant results for eleven SNPs, six of which were characteristic of African populations, while four SNPs were most common in East Asian populations. A principal component analysis of CYP2D6 haplotypes showed that African populations form one cluster, Asian populations form another cluster with East and South Asian populations separated, while European populations form the third cluster. Linkage disequilibrium showed that all African populations have three or more haplotype blocks within the CYP2D6 gene, while other world populations have one, except for Chinese Dai and Punjabi in Pakistan populations, which have two.

PMID:36432672 | DOI:10.3390/pharmaceutics14112481

Categories: Literature Watch

Pharmacogenetics Role of Genetic Variants in Immune-Related Factors: A Systematic Review Focusing on mCRC

Sat, 2022-11-26 06:00

Pharmaceutics. 2022 Nov 15;14(11):2468. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112468.

ABSTRACT

Pharmacogenetics plays a key role in personalized cancer treatment. Currently, the clinically available pharmacogenetic markers for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are in genes related to drug metabolism, such as DPYD for fluoropyrimidines and UGT1A1 for irinotecan. Recently, the impact of host variability in inflammatory and immune-response genes on treatment response has gained considerable attention, opening innovative perspectives for optimizing tailored mCRC therapy. A literature review was performed on the predictive role of immune-related germline genetic biomarkers on pharmacological outcomes in patients with mCRC. Particularly, that for efficacy and toxicity was reported and the potential role for clinical management of patients was discussed. Most of the available data regard therapy effectiveness, while the impact on toxicity remains limited. Several studies focused on the effects of polymorphisms in genes related to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (FCGR2A, FCGR3A) and yielded promising but inconclusive results on cetuximab efficacy. The remaining published data are sparse and mainly hypothesis-generating but suggest potentially interesting topics for future pharmacogenetic studies, including innovative gene-drug interactions in a clinical context. Besides the tumor immune escape pathway, genetic markers belonging to cytokines/interleukins (IL-8 and its receptors) and angiogenic mediators (IGF1) seem to be the best investigated and hopefully most promising to be translated into clinical practice after validation.

PMID:36432658 | DOI:10.3390/pharmaceutics14112468

Categories: Literature Watch

Pharmacogenetic Study of the Impact of <em>ABCB1</em> Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on the Response to Cyclosporine in Psoriasis Patients

Sat, 2022-11-26 06:00

Pharmaceutics. 2022 Nov 11;14(11):2441. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112441.

ABSTRACT

Psoriasis is a chronic, T cell-mediated skin disease affecting 2-3% of the Caucasian population. Cyclosporine A is a calcineurin inhibitor that acts selectively on T cells. The cyclosporine A treatment response has been suggested to be modulated by single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ABCB1 gene. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of ABCB1 genetic variants that could affect the response to a cyclosporine treatment in Russian psoriasis patients with the ABCB1 genotype status. The ABCB1 T-129C, G1199A, C1236T, G2677T/A and C3435T SNPs in the 168 patients with psoriasis were genotyped by PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism) and TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. The ABCB1 C1236T, G2677T/A and C3435T SNPs were significantly associated with a negative response to cyclosporine therapy. A very strong association was evident for the C3435T SNP in the ABCB1 gene in the allele, dominant and recessive models (OR = 2.58, OR = 4.01, OR = 2.50, respectively). ABCB1 C1236T and G2677T/A polymorphisms were significantly associated with a negative response to the cyclosporine therapy in the codominant, dominant and recessive models (p ˂ 0.05). Additionally, the haplotype analysis identified that the TGC haplotype is significantly associated with a negative response to cyclosporine therapy in psoriasis patients (p ˂ 0.05). The current study to the best of our knowledge is the first of its kind to be performed in the Russian population. In conclusion, the present results suggest an association between the ABCB1 genetic variants and unresponsiveness to cyclosporine in the Russian population. Further, larger studies are necessary to confirm our findings and replicate them in various ethnic populations before its implementation in the clinical practice.

PMID:36432633 | DOI:10.3390/pharmaceutics14112441

Categories: Literature Watch

Resveratrol in Liquor Exacerbates Alcoholic Liver Injury with a Reduced Therapeutic Effect in Mice: An Unsupervised Herbal Wine Habit Is Risky

Sat, 2022-11-26 06:00

Nutrients. 2022 Nov 10;14(22):4752. doi: 10.3390/nu14224752.

ABSTRACT

People in Eastern countries hold a tradition of soaking herbal medicine in wine; however, the efficacy and safety of herbal wine have not been rigorously assessed. By assessing the efficacy of resveratrol (RSV) in ethanol against alcoholic liver disease (ALD) in mice, we aimed to offer a perspective on the use of herbal wine. To simulate the behaviour of herbal wine users, RSV (15 mg/kg) soaked in ethanol (RSV-alcohol) was administrated via gavage to the mice, here with alcohol consumption-induced ALD. RSV soaked in water (RSV-water) was the treatment control. The efficacy and safety of RSV on ALD were evaluated. Compared with the RSV-water group, a higher rate of mortality was found in the RSV-alcohol group (50.0% vs. 20.0%), which also exhibited more severe liver injury. RSV significantly increased the exposure of alcohol by 126.0%, which was accompanied by a significant inhibition of the ethanol metabolic pathway. In contrast, alcohol consumption significantly reduced exposure to RSV by 95.0%. Alcohol consumption had little effect on the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes in RSV; however, alcohol seemed to reduce the absorption of RSV. RSV in liquor exacerbates alcoholic liver injury and has a reduced therapeutic effect, suggesting that the habit of herbal wine use without supervision is risky.

PMID:36432440 | DOI:10.3390/nu14224752

Categories: Literature Watch

Natural Hemp-Ginger Extract and Its Biological and Therapeutic Efficacy

Sat, 2022-11-26 06:00

Molecules. 2022 Nov 9;27(22):7694. doi: 10.3390/molecules27227694.

ABSTRACT

The prevention and treatment of skin diseases remains a major challenge in medicine. The search for natural active ingredients that can be used to prevent the development of the disease and complement treatment is on the rise. Natural extracts of ginger and hemp offer a wide range of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. This study evaluates the effectiveness of hemp and ginger extract as a supportive treatment for skin diseases. It reports a synergistic effect of hemp and ginger extract. The contents of cannabinoids and components of ginger are determined, with the highest being CBD (587.17 ± 8.32 µg/g) and 6-gingerol (60.07 ± 0.40 µg/g). The minimum inhibitory concentration for Staphylococcus aureus (156.5 µg/mL), Escherichia coli (625.2 µg/mL) and Candida albicans (78.3 µg/mL) was also analyzed. Analysis of WM-266-4 cells revealed the greatest decrease in metabolic activity in cells exposed to the extract at a concentration of 1.00 µg/mL. Regarding the expression of genes associated with cellular processes, melanoma aggressiveness, resistance and cell survival, a significant difference was found in the expression of ABCB5, CAV1 and S100A9 compared with the control (cells not exposed to the extract).

PMID:36431795 | DOI:10.3390/molecules27227694

Categories: Literature Watch

DRPreter: Interpretable Anticancer Drug Response Prediction Using Knowledge-Guided Graph Neural Networks and Transformer

Sat, 2022-11-26 06:00

Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Nov 11;23(22):13919. doi: 10.3390/ijms232213919.

ABSTRACT

Some of the recent studies on drug sensitivity prediction have applied graph neural networks to leverage prior knowledge on the drug structure or gene network, and other studies have focused on the interpretability of the model to delineate the mechanism governing the drug response. However, it is crucial to make a prediction model that is both knowledge-guided and interpretable, so that the prediction accuracy is improved and practical use of the model can be enhanced. We propose an interpretable model called DRPreter (drug response predictor and interpreter) that predicts the anticancer drug response. DRPreter learns cell line and drug information with graph neural networks; the cell-line graph is further divided into multiple subgraphs with domain knowledge on biological pathways. A type-aware transformer in DRPreter helps detect relationships between pathways and a drug, highlighting important pathways that are involved in the drug response. Extensive experiments on the GDSC (Genomics of Drug Sensitivity and Cancer) dataset demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art graph-based models for drug response prediction. In addition, DRPreter detected putative key genes and pathways for specific drug-cell-line pairs with supporting evidence in the literature, implying that our model can help interpret the mechanism of action of the drug.

PMID:36430395 | DOI:10.3390/ijms232213919

Categories: Literature Watch

Multi-Omics Alleviates the Limitations of Panel Sequencing for Cancer Drug Response Prediction

Sat, 2022-11-26 06:00

Cancers (Basel). 2022 Nov 15;14(22):5604. doi: 10.3390/cancers14225604.

ABSTRACT

Comprehensive genomic profiling using cancer gene panels has been shown to improve treatment options for a variety of cancer types. However, genomic aberrations detected via such gene panels do not necessarily serve as strong predictors of drug sensitivity. In this study, using pharmacogenomics datasets of cell lines, patient-derived xenografts, and ex vivo treated fresh tumor specimens, we demonstrate that utilizing the transcriptome on top of gene panel features substantially improves drug response prediction performance in cancer.

PMID:36428696 | DOI:10.3390/cancers14225604

Categories: Literature Watch

CYP2B6 SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS IN AN AZERBAIJANI POPULATION

Fri, 2022-11-25 06:00

Georgian Med News. 2022 Sep;(330):90-93.

ABSTRACT

Despite being one of the less-characterized human isoforms, cytochrome P450 2B6 is already known for its participation in the metabolism of many drugs and several environmental carcinogens. It has been studied in different populations, but ethnicity is a crucial variable to account for interindividual variability. ; This study aimed to investigate the genotype and allelic frequencies of CYP2B6 c.516G>T SNP in an Azerbaijani population, as the determination of SNP's prevalence will be helpful in further pharmacogenetics research and optimization of personalized drug therapy in Azerbaijan. ; Identification of CYP2B6*6 allelic and genotype frequencies in 100 volunteers was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. The obtained results were confirmed by next-generation sequencing. ; The frequency of the *6 allele was 0.275, with the *1 allele frequency being 0.725. The frequency of the CYP2B6*1/*1, CYP2B6*1/*6 and CYP2B6*6/*6 genotypes were 0.55, 0.35, 0.1, respectively. ; This is the first investigation to report the frequencies of CYP2B6*/6 alleles in the Azerbaijani population. The results of this study suggest that genetic polymorphisms in the CYP2B6 gene are abundantly present among Azerbaijani individuals.

PMID:36427849

Categories: Literature Watch

Bioinformatics driven discovery of small molecule compounds that modulate the FOXM1 and PPARA pathway activities in breast cancer

Thu, 2022-11-24 06:00

Pharmacogenomics J. 2022 Nov 24. doi: 10.1038/s41397-022-00297-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Our previous studies demonstrated that the FOXM1 pathway is upregulated and the PPARA pathway downregulated in breast cancer (BC), and especially in the triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype. Targeting the two pathways may offer potential therapeutic strategies to treat BC, especially TNBC which has the fewest effective therapies available among all BC subtypes. In this study we identified small molecule compounds that could modulate the PPARA and FOXM1 pathways in BC using two methods. In the first method, data were initially curated from the Connectivity Map (CMAP) database, which provides the gene expression profiles of MCF7 cells treated with different compounds as well as paired controls. We then calculated the changes in the FOXM1 and PPARA pathway activities from the compound-induced gene expression profiles under each treatment to identify compounds that produced a decreased activity in the FOXM1 pathway or an increased activity in the PPARA pathway. In the second method, the CMAP database tool was used to identify compounds that could reverse the expression pattern of the two pathways in MCF7 cells. Compounds identified as repressing the FOXM1 pathway or activating the PPARA pathway by the two methods were compared. We identified 19 common compounds that could decrease the FOXM1 pathway activity scores and reverse the FOXM1 pathway expression pattern, and 13 common compounds that could increase the PPARA pathway activity scores and reverse the PPARA pathway expression pattern. It may be of interest to validate these compounds experimentally to further investigate their effects on TNBCs.

PMID:36424525 | DOI:10.1038/s41397-022-00297-1

Categories: Literature Watch

Targeting Xkr8 via nanoparticle-mediated in situ co-delivery of siRNA and chemotherapy drugs for cancer immunochemotherapy

Thu, 2022-11-24 06:00

Nat Nanotechnol. 2022 Nov 24. doi: 10.1038/s41565-022-01266-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Activation of scramblases is one of the mechanisms that regulates the exposure of phosphatidylserine to the cell surface, a process that plays an important role in tumour immunosuppression. Here we show that chemotherapeutic agents induce overexpression of Xkr8, a scramblase activated during apoptosis, at the transcriptional level in cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Based on this finding, we developed a nanocarrier for co-delivery of Xkr8 short interfering RNA and the FuOXP prodrug to tumours. Intravenous injection of our nanocarrier led to significant inhibition of tumour growth in colon and pancreatic cancer models along with increased antitumour immune response. Targeting Xkr8 in combination with chemotherapy may represent a novel strategy for the treatment of various types of cancers.

PMID:36424448 | DOI:10.1038/s41565-022-01266-2

Categories: Literature Watch

Pharmacological data science perspective on fatal incidents of morphine treatment

Thu, 2022-11-24 06:00

Pharmacol Ther. 2022 Nov 21:108312. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108312. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Morphine prescribed for analgesia has caused drug-related deaths at an estimated incidence of 0.3% to 4%. Morphine has pharmacological properties that make it particularly difficult to assess the causality of morphine administration with a patient's death, such as its slow transfer between plasma and central nervous sites of action and the existence of the active metabolite morphine-6-glucuronide with opioid agonistic effects, Furthermore, there is no well-defined toxic dose or plasma/blood concentration for morphine. Dosing is often adjusted for adequate pain relief. Here, we summarize reported deaths associated with morphine therapy, including associated morphine exposure and modulating patient factors such as pharmacogenetics, concomitant medications, or comorbidities. In addition, we systematically analyzed published numerical information on the stability of concentrations of morphine and its relevant metabolites in biological samples collected postmortem. A medicolegal case is presented in which the causality of morphine administration with death was in dispute and pharmacokinetic modeling was applied to infer the administered dose. The results of this analytical review suggest that (i) inference from postmortem blood concentrations to the morphine dose administered has low validity and (ii) causality between a patient's death and the morphine dose administered remains a highly context-dependent and collaborative assessment among experts from different medical specialties.

PMID:36423714 | DOI:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108312

Categories: Literature Watch

Allelic Variants of HLA-C Upstream Region, <em>PSORS1C3</em>, <em>MICA</em>, <em>TNFA</em> and Genes Involved in Epidermal Homeostasis and Barrier Function Influence the Clinical Response to Anti-IL-12/IL-23 Treatment of Patients with Psoriasis

Thu, 2022-11-24 06:00

Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Nov 21;10(11):1977. doi: 10.3390/vaccines10111977.

ABSTRACT

Several biologic therapies have been developed to treat moderate-to-severe psoriasis, with patients exhibiting different clinical benefits, possibly due to the heterogeneity of pathogenic processes underlying their conditions. Ustekinumab targets the IL-12/IL-23-p40 subunit and inhibits type-1 and type-17 T-cell responses. Although ustekinumab is effective as both short- and long-term treatment, therapeutic response varies considerably among patients. Ustekinumab biosimilars will be commercialized in the very next future, likely broadening the use of this drug in the treatment of psoriasis patients. Our pharmacogenomic study evaluated the influence of 417 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in psoriasis-risk alleles on the clinical response to ustekinumab in a cohort of 152 patients affected by moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis. Differences in SNP pattern characterizing HLA-Cw6+ or HLA-Cw6- patients, showing high or low responses to ustekinumab, were also analysed. We identified twelve SNPs in HLA-C upstream region (rs12189871, rs4406273, rs9348862 and rs9368670), PSORS1C3 (rs1265181), MICA (rs2523497), LCE3A-B intergenic region (rs12030223, rs6701730), CDSN (rs1042127, rs4713436), CCHCR1 (rs2073719) and in TNFA (rs1800610) genes associated with excellent response to ustekinumab. We also found that HLA-Cw6+ and HLA-Cw6- patients carried out distinct patterns of SNPs associated with different clinical responses. The assessment of HLA-C alleles, together with other genetic variants, could be helpful for defining patients who better benefit from anti-IL-12/IL-23 therapy.

PMID:36423071 | DOI:10.3390/vaccines10111977

Categories: Literature Watch

Workforce Considerations When Building a Precision Medicine Program

Thu, 2022-11-24 06:00

J Pers Med. 2022 Nov 19;12(11):1929. doi: 10.3390/jpm12111929.

ABSTRACT

This paper describes one healthcare system's approach to strategically deploying genetic specialists and pharmacists to support the implementation of a precision medicine program. In 2013, Sanford Health initiated the development of a healthcare system-wide precision medicine program. Here, we report the necessary staffing including the genetic counselors, genetic counseling assistants, pharmacists, and geneticists. We examined the administrative and electronic medical records data to summarize genetic referrals over time as well as the uptake and results of an enterprise-wide genetic screening test. Between 2013 and 2020, the number of genetic specialists employed at Sanford Health increased by 190%, from 10.1 full-time equivalents (FTEs) to 29.3 FTEs. Over the same period, referrals from multiple provider types to genetic services increased by 423%, from 1438 referrals to 7517 referrals. Between 2018 and 2020, 11,771 patients received a genetic screening, with 4% identified with potential monogenic medically actionable predisposition (MAP) findings and 95% identified with at least one informative pharmacogenetic result. Of the MAP-positive patients, 85% had completed a session with a genetics provider. A strategic workforce staffing and deployment allowed Sanford Health to manage a new genetic screening program, which prompted a large increase in genetic referrals. This approach can be used as a template for other healthcare systems interested in the development of a precision medicine program.

PMID:36422106 | DOI:10.3390/jpm12111929

Categories: Literature Watch

Pharmacogenomics of Cancer Pain Treatment Outcomes in Asian Populations: A Review

Thu, 2022-11-24 06:00

J Pers Med. 2022 Nov 18;12(11):1927. doi: 10.3390/jpm12111927.

ABSTRACT

In advanced cancer, pain is a poor prognostic factor, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. It has been shown that up to 30% of cancer patients in Southeast Asian countries may receive inadequate analgesia from opioid therapy. This significant under-management of cancer pain is largely due to the inter-individual variability in opioid dosage and relative efficacy of available opioids, leading to unpredictable clinical responses to opioid treatment. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) cause the variability in opioid treatment outcomes, yet their association in Asian populations remains unclear. Therefore, this review aimed to evaluate the association of SNPs with variability in opioid treatment responses in Asian populations. A literature search was conducted in Medline and Embase databases and included primary studies investigating the association of SNPs in opioid treatment outcomes, namely pharmacokinetics, opioid dose requirements, and pain control among Asian cancer patients. The results show that CYP2D6*10 has the most clinical relevance in tramadol treatment. Other SNPs such as rs7439366 (UGT2B7), rs1641025 (ABAT) and rs1718125 (P2RX7) though significant have limited pharmacogenetic implications due to insufficient evidence. OPRM1 rs1799971, COMT rs4680 and ABCB1 (rs1045642, rs1128503, and rs2032582) need to be further explored in future for relevance in Asian populations.

PMID:36422103 | DOI:10.3390/jpm12111927

Categories: Literature Watch

Asthma exacerbations: the genes behind the scenes

Thu, 2022-11-24 06:00

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2022 Nov 24:0. doi: 10.18176/jiaci.0878. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The clinical and socioeconomic burden of asthma exacerbations (AEs) represents a major public health problem. In the last four years, there has been an increase in ethnic diversity in candidate-gene and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of AEs, which in the latter case has led to the identification of novel genes and underlying pathobiological processes. Pharmacogenomics, admixture mapping analyses, and the combination of multiple "omic" layers have contributed to prioritizing genomic regions of interest and/or understanding the functional consequences of genetic variation. Despite this, the field still lags behind the genomics of asthma, where a vast compendium of genetic approaches has been used (e.g., gene-environment interactions, next-generation sequencing, or polygenic risk scores). Furthermore, the roles of the DNA methylome and histone modifications in AEs have been scarcely investigated, and microRNA findings remain to be validated in independent studies. Likewise, the most recent transcriptomic studies highlight the importance of host-airway microbiome interaction in the modulation of AEs risk. Leveraging -omics and deep-phenotyping data from sub-types or homogenous subgroups of patients will be crucial to overcome the inherent heterogeneity of AEs, and boost the identification of potential therapeutic targets and the implementation of precision medicine in clinical practice for AEs.

PMID:36420738 | DOI:10.18176/jiaci.0878

Categories: Literature Watch

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