Introduction
Initially, doctors thought to use personalized treatment for each patient. But in the past, they discovered drugs that worked for many people with certain diseases. Now, with new therapies, we are using personalized and precision medicine to describe a more individualized approach. They focus on understanding the specific disease mechanisms in each patient by using various scientific techniques. This helps them find the proper treatment for each person. This article will discuss precision medicine in asthma and how useful it is. Continue reading to learn more about it.
What is Precision Medicine?
What is this? Precision medicine is a new way of treating and preventing diseases. It involves analyzing a person’s genes, environment, and lifestyle to find the best treatment. Traditional medicine uses the same treatment for everyone, but precision medicine is different. It groups people based on how likely they are to need treatment for a disease. Doctors use this approach to know and select the best treatment for each person. It helps to have more effective treatment, reduce side effects, and improve health.
How Does Precision Medicine Improve Asthma Treatment?
Different inflammatory mechanisms, clinical presentations, treatments, and outcomes can be seen in asthma patients. Precision medicine tries to understand their characteristics and helps to create personalized treatment options that provide better benefits for a patient. The identification of phenotypes in asthma is an integral part of precision medicine. Sputum analysis, biomarker measurements, and advanced laboratory techniques are some tests often used to find the right asthma type in an individual. For each phenotype, several treatment options are used.
What are the Types of Asthma and Personalized Treatment Approaches?
Do we have more types of asthma? There are many types of asthma. Moderate to severe asthma is further classified by type 2 inflammation and non-type 2 inflammation. Eosinophilic asthma and allergic asthma are often caused by type 2 inflammation. In eosinophilic asthma, there is a high level of white blood cells called eosinophils. People with allergic asthma have an overactive immune response towards common allergens like dust or pollen. Non-type 2 asthma is known as non-eosinophilic asthma, with no eosinophils. Different types of white blood cells accumulate and cause inflammation. Symptom-control-based treatment options for severe asthma in the past have now been replaced by a personalized approach to medicine in the present. Identifying relevant inflammatory mechanisms helps clinicians provide targeted and personalized biological treatments for patients suffering from severe asthma.
What are Genetic and Biomarker Testing in Asthma Management?
Biomarkers are special signs in the body that help doctors choose the proper treatment. They can show what type of condition a person has and predict how well a treatment will work. For severe allergic asthma, two important biomarkers are IgE and blood eosinophils. IgE is a type of antibody, and eosinophils are a type of white blood cell. Doctors often check for IgE levels to identify whether a patient can get anti-IgE therapy. The IgE level should lie between 30 and 1500 IU/ml for this treatment.
For other treatments that target specific molecules involved in asthma, like anti-IL5 or anti-IL4/IL-13 therapies, doctors look at the number of eosinophils in the patient's blood. Different cutoff values are established to determine if a patient is eligible for these treatments. For еxamplе, thе еosinophil count should bе at lеast 150/ml for trеatmеnts likе Dupilumab or Mеpolizumab, 300/ml for Bеnralizumab, and 400 per ml for Rеslizumab trials. Researchers also study other biomarkers to see whether a treatment will work well. For example, high galectin-3 levels in lung tissue respond well to Omalizumab.
High levels of serum periostin and FENO are linked to fewer asthma attacks when using Omalizumab or Lebrikizumab. In some studies, they have identified that genes on chromosomes 2 (IL1RL1/IL18R1), 6 (HLA-DQ), 9 (IL33), 15 (SMAD3), 17 (ORMDL3/GSDMB), and 22 (IL2RB) have been identified as being associated with asthma. The ORMDL3 gene remains associated with childhood onset, whereas the HLA-DQ gene is related to late-onset asthma.
What are the Biologic Therapies for Severe Asthma?
Biologic therapies are a kind of medicine that is made of living things such as bacteria, plants, and animals. Biologics work by disrupting cells or blocking specific cells that trigger inflammation. The six biologics approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are Omalizumab, Mepolizumab, Benralizumab, Reslizumab, Dupilumab, and Tezepelumab. Mepolizumab and Reslizumab treat eosinophilic asthma by targeting interleukin 5. Dupilumab treats eosinophilic and oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma by targeting interleukin receptors 4 and 13. Omalizumab treats allergic asthma by targeting immunoglobulin E. Tezepelumab treats both allergic and eosinophilic asthma by targeting thymic stromal lymphopoietin.
What is the Role of AI and Data in Personalized Asthma Care?
Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a great role in asthma management. AI-generated tools are used to analyze patient data to identify asthma risk. AI-driven apps are used to identify symptoms, medication adherence, and environmental triggers for personalized treatment options. AI can optimize inhaler use in patients by analyzing breathing patterns. AI-powered smart inhalers can record inhaler use and remind patients to take them on time. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools like natural language processing (NLP) and AI-assisted clinical decision support systems have been developed. It helps clinicians get summaries of the most relevant clinical information for asthma management in children. It can also predict the future risk of asthma exacerbation in asthma-affected patients.
Conclusion
Doctors have always aimed to personalize treatment for each patient. In the past, they discovered drugs that worked for many people with certain diseases. Now, with new therapies, they use personalized and precision medicine to describe a more individualized approach. They focus on understanding the specific disease mechanisms in each patient by using various scientific techniques. This helps them find the right treatment for each person.
Key Takeaway/Note from Icliniq
If you want more details about precision medicine in asthma management, the doctors at icliniq.com are very knowledgeable. They can tell us and guide us to know more details about these medicines in asthma management.
