Innovative tools in precision medicine to understand and predict immune-mediated and haematological adverse drug reactions

The purpose of Precision Medicine is to treat patients with optimal efficacy and a minimum of side effects. Despite therapeutic advances, side effects cause a great deal of unnecessary morbidity, hospitalisations and death.

The immune system is believed to play an important role for many serious and unpredictable adverse effects, but more knowledge about causes and risk factors is needed.In this project, we will use our unique national SWEDEGENE biobank to recruit patients with serious adverse effects of common medicines with focus on immune-related and haematological reactions.

Our novel collaborative Precision Medicine project brings together laboratories that perform pharmacogenomics, functional validation, autoimmunity profiling and ex vivo drug response testing.

Using these strategies, we will we will study how genes and biomarkers for autoimmunity and toxicity combined with clinical factors are linked to therapeutic outcome.During the project, we will be able to develop tests that help physicians select safe medicines and doses tailored to a person’s genes and immune system.

These tests could be implemented into clinical practice through Precision Medicine initiatives such as Genomic Medicine Sweden (GMS).In summary, we believe that our Precision Medicine approach to adverse effects will increase the possibility of adapting common medicines for the many. This will ultimately lead to better use of medicines and medical resources and promote sustainability in healthcare.