Biomarkers

New Biomarkers Working Group (BWG) within the ISD Committee.

New: report from a Round Table Meeting held in Barcelona last March

Background for this proposal:
In solid organ transplantation the incidence of over-immunosuppression is significant. There is a need for tailor-made and individualized immunosuppression but there is a lack of clearly identified biomarker(s) available to reflect the personal response and the susceptibility of each patient to the drug. Small scale studies suggest that some “probable” biomarkers (currently not validated) of the immunomodulatory drug effect may play a determinative role, but most assays have not been standardized and validated in different centres. Larger multi-centre studies are therefore necessary.
 
Proposal:
Founding a Biomarkers Working Group (BWG) inside the Immunosuppressive drugs Committee, to take advantage and reinforce the expertise and relationship's network among its members

Aims of the BWG:
-To identify priorities for personalized therapy research on solid organ transplantation.
-To coordinate specific research on biomarkers of immunosuppression, as a complement to pharmacokinetics, for personalized therapy.
-To validate predictive biomarkers of individual drug-response (initial dose, and dose-adjustment)
-To correlate identified biomarkers with clinical outcome
 
Priority Research Topics:
-Identify biomarkers (donor & recipient) to define risk profiles, susceptibility to the drug, and tailor pre/post-transplant therapies in solid organ transplantation
-Organize innovative training in TDM PD&PK programmes for physicians, scientists and related healthcare staff involved in research and in routine monitoring of immunosuppressive drugs on solid organ transplantation
-Validate target values: once the optimal panel of biomarkers will been identified, selected, and the assays validated among participating centres, there will be a further need to validate target values (e.g. levels of production of ATP, intracellular IL2 concentration,…) in relationship with clinical outcome, age, transplantation type etc…
            
The ISD Committee unanimously supported the proposal to create the Biomarkers Working Group with M Brunet as project leader.
 
 
Proposed active members of Biomarkers Working Group:
M Brunet, P Wallemacq, M Oellerich, T van Gelder, K Budde, E Billaud, P Marquet, T Pawinski.
 
Call for interested and active new members:
This list is not limited and any interested member can apply by contacting either P Wallemacq or M Brunet.
 
P Wallemacq , ISD Committee Chair

M Brunet , BWG Project Leader