Immunopharmacogenomics: Challenges and Future Prospects

A detailed understanding of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs along with the enormous advancement and availability of genomic resources has led us to the era of pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine where the prediction of drug efficacy and safety based on genetic testing is made possible; this exciting new area of science is still at infancy in clinical practice due to various challenges. With the availability of sophisticated genomic tools including next-generation sequencing and microarray analysis, it has become possible to sequence DNA nucleotides and assess the expression of genes in the various pathological states elucidating the exact molecular pathogenesis of diseases including cancer and autoimmune disorders. The critical role of the immune system in various pathological conditions and the latest developments in immunotherapy have highlighted the importance of host immune cells and their influence on the pathogenesis and therapy of various disorders. The variations in expressions and mutations of immune-specific genes were associated with pathological immune-mediated diseases as well as immune-related adverse drug reactions. Not surprisingly, the role of immune cells and the effects of genetic mutations affecting the molecular pathogenesis and drug response in these disorders were specifically highlighted to be the area that required extensive research on our way to finding an efficient therapeutic cure for these disorders.