Pharmacogenomics in dermatology: Taking patient treatment to the next level

Abstract

The notion of treating the patient, and not the particular disease, has been emphasized by physicians for some time. In the past decade, this idea advanced with the human genome project, and has been taken further with the advent of personalized dermatology, or using genetics to drive pharmacological treatment. For example, recent melanoma treatment trials focus entirely on the genetic makeup of the individual. Although some dermatological conditions such as melanoma are being targeted with gene-specific therapy, the idea of choosing a drug based on the genetic makeup to treat other dermatologic conditions might be relevant, since it may increase drug efficacy or decrease adverse drug events. This concept of pharmacogenomics could be applied throughout the field of dermatology. Online libraries have been developed to guide drug efficacy, dose prediction and adverse events. We provide a list of current systemic dermatologic drugs in which the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics have been studied. It would be beneficial to guide patient treatment with these drugs, if we can better understand their pharmacogenomics.

Personalized skincare: from molecular basis to clinical and commercial applications

“…This is consistent with the idea of treating the person rather than the particular problem, which gains increasing recognition as a more effective approach. 62 Based on this, the concept of “personalized medicine” recognizing underlying forms of genetic variations emerges as an exceptional strategy with unique applications in pharmacogenomics and pharmacoproteomics. This concept can be extended further onto the field of experimental and clinical dermatology and personalized skincare.…”

“…This concept can be extended further onto the field of experimental and clinical dermatology and personalized skincare. 62 , 63 Recent progress in molecular assays and diagnostic tests facilitates addressing the physiology of skin processes and the pathogenic mechanisms of specific problems including inflammatory and autoimmune skin conditions. 64 Understanding the biology of individual skin structure, sensitivity and hormonal balance and identifying the network of representative genes in the context of specific genetic makeup will drive the design of novel pharmaceuticals and mimetics to modulate appropriate biologic processes.…”

Developing patient-specific adverse effect profiles: the next frontier for precision medicine in dermatology

“…Pharmacogenomics, the subset of precision medicine in which therapy is tailored to the individual patient, is already impacting patient management in dermatology (1). Breakthroughs in the development of mutation-specific targeted therapies for malignant melanoma and atopic dermatitis have become paradigms for drug development in other skin conditions (2)(3)(4). While these targeted therapies are promising, in this move toward precision medicine, it is also important to account for more factors than therapeutic efficacy alone.…”