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Implications of pharmacogenetics for individualizing drug treatment and for study design.

Adverse drug reactions and ineffective drug treatment are responsible for a large health care burden. Considerable variability in drug response makes the prediction of the individual reaction difficult. Pharmacogenetics can help to individualize drug treatment in accordance with the genetic make-up of the patient. Drug response is best understood as a complex interplay between pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and other disease-associated factors. There are a large number of genetic variants in the enzymes of phase I and phase II drug metabolism, in drug transporters, and drug targets, all of which account for differences in drug response. The polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 enzyme system have been investigated most extensively. Genotype-based dose adjustment which should ensure "bioequivalent" drug concentrations in all patients has been derived from pharmacokinetic parameters, but this approach will have to be verified in prospective studies. Drug transport has recently been recognized as a further crucial determinant in pharmacokinetics. The effect of genetics on disease susceptibility and drug treatment has been studied quite extensively; however, hardly any of this progress is at present reflected in routine health care. The integration of pharmacogenetic factors in clinical trials requires novel considerations for study design and data interpretation. It is to be hoped that the new science bioinformatics will (a) help us identify the contribution of genetics to disease and treatment response and will (b) create data-processing devices which help the physician in the face of the enormously expanding scientific knowledge in selecting the best individually adapted treatment for the patient.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Open Source software in medical informatics--why, how and what.

'Open Source' is a 20-40 year old approach to licensing and distributing software that has recently burst into public view. Against conventional wisdom this approach has been wildly successful in the general software market--probably because the openness lets programmers the world over obtain, critique, use, and build upon the source code without licensing fees. Linux, a UNIX-like operating system, is the best known success. But computer scientists at the University of California, Berkeley began the tradition of software sharing in the mid 1970s with BSD UNIX and distributed the major internet network protocols as source code without a fee. Medical informatics has its own history of Open Source distribution: Massachusetts General's COSTAR and the Veterans Administration's VISTA software have been distributed as source code at no cost for decades. Bioinformatics, our sister field, has embraced the Open Source movement and developed rich libraries of open-source software. Open Source has now gained a tiny foothold in health care (OSCAR GEHR, OpenEMed). Medical informatics researchers and funding agencies should support and nurture this movement. In a world where open-source modules were integrated into operational health care systems, informatics researchers would have real world niches into which they could engraft and test their software inventions. This could produce a burst of innovation that would help solve the many problems of the health care system. We at the Regenstrief Institute are doing our part by moving all of our development to the open-source model.

Database Management Systems↗

The human proteome organization (HUPO) and environmental health.

The Human Proteome Organization, or HUPO, was formed to promote research and large-scale analysis of the human proteome. By consolidating national proteome organizations into an international body, HUPO will coordinate international initiatives, biological resources, protocols, standards and data for studying the human proteome. HUPO has identified five key areas to advance study of the human proteome, specifically in bioinformatics, new technologies, the plasma proteome, cell models, and a public antibody initiative. Consideration of three major issue areas may help develop HUPO's strategy for human proteome study. First is the need to distinguish the value of high throughput platforms from discovery platforms in proteomics. Second is the importance for international planning on integrating both transcriptome and proteome data and databases. Last is that effects of the environment from chemical, physical, and biological exposures alter the expression and structure of the proteome, which become manifest in long-term adverse health effects and disease. Environmental health research stands to greatly benefit from the shared resources, data, and vision of the HUPO organization as a valuable resource in exploiting knowledge of the human proteome toward improving public health.

Computational Biology↗

Genomic biomarkers for cancer assessment: implementation challenges for laboratory practice.

Genomic biomarkers are an emerging class of laboratory tests, which present special implementation challenges for clinical laboratory services, compared to conventional laboratory tests. These challenges, which include analytical, bioinformatics, bioethical, interpretation and commercialization issues, represent real obstacles to widespread implementation of these tests. Technical challenges include the capacity to detect and identify many different kinds of markers for different diseases in a short time period, capacity to identify simultaneously gene rearrangements, amplification, inhibition, deletions and replications. Bioinformatics challenges include rapid analysis of genomic data, as well as the cross reference to other genomic data, and to other laboratory tests. Bioethical issues relate to consent to retain and use genetic data, which may be obtained inadvertently during analysis for genomic markers. Interpretation challenges include observations that the particular genomic markers may not be independent variables, as other undetected genomic alterations could invalidate or alter genomic marker interpretation. Further, as early experience with predictive genetic markers for cancer has shown, proprietary commercial interests may conflict with public health values of identifying genomic markers in subject populations. Based on our 10 years of experience with genomic biomarkers, important implementation strategies for genomic markers include development of:Standard high throughput analyzers capable of detecting any alteration of any genomic variant at any time. Bioinformatics analysis online, coupled to stored patient data. Laboratory service framework that preserves confidentiality but integrates genomic data with other laboratory tests. Laboratory service framework, which links consents, genomic analysis, reports to both specimen and data repositories. Overall, the laboratory service challenges for genomic markers are to manage very large analytical sets and very large data sets in finite time with responsible interpretation, all within finite funding. To meet these challenges, implementation strategies beyond the one disease, one diagnosis, one genomic marker concept must begin now.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Advancing One Health genomics in Africa: opportunities and challenges for outbreak and antimicrobial resistance control.

SUMMARYAfrica's ongoing struggles with emerging epidemics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) underscore the urgency of integrating pathogen genomics and surveillance systems into the continent's One Health strategy, particularly given the existing limitations in preparedness and technological resources. This review brings together current evidence on the growth of sequencing infrastructure, the development of regional genomic hubs, and the establishment of governance frameworks, while identifying critical challenges in data integration, bioinformatics capacity, and sustainable financing. Special focus is placed on the lack of African-based genomic data, with our analysis showing that only 1.82% of the global total is available. Case studies illustrate the immense potential and importance of pathogen genomics, giving policymakers a tangible sense of its impact. These examples demonstrate how genomic technologies integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming outbreak response, AMR surveillance, and stewardship programs by enabling early detection of zoonotic threats, mapping transmission pathways, and guiding vaccine development. However, to fully realize this scientific intel, it is essential to embed One Health pathogen surveillance within strong policy and system frameworks to ensure the translation of technical progress into lasting institutional capacity and sustainable impact. Long-term implementation depends on coordinated investment and advocacy across four interdependent pillars: data architecture, governance and sovereignty, human capital, and technical capacity.

Humans↗

[The optimal combination of serum tumor markers with bioinformatics in diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the optimal combination of serum tumor markers with bioinformatics in diagnosis of colorectal cancer. METHODS: The serum levels of CEA, AFP, NSE, CA199, CA242, CA724, CA211 and TPA were detected in 128 patients with colorectal carcinoma and 113 health subjects. The serum tumor markers were evaluated with the area under curves. The optimal combination of serum tumor markers was selected and the diagnostic model with artificial neural network was established. RESULTS: CEA, CA199, CA242, CA211, CA724 were selected for the optimal combination and the artificial neural network was built. The model was evaluated by a 5-cross validation approach. The model had a specificity of 95%, sensitivity of 83% and positive predictive value of 95% in diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The combination of optimal serum tumor markers has a high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma.

Adult↗

Evolution of toxicology for risk assessment.

The science of toxicology has served society well in protecting public health and the environment. Governments, the industrial sector, and the public have relied on toxicology as the foundation to assess risks to both human and ecological populations from environmental factors, including chemicals, biologic agents, physical agents, and other stressors. To maintain its prominence, the science and practice of toxicology will need to embrace the revolution underway in biology. Systems biology and biotechnologies derived from sequencing of the human genome, referred to as "genomics," have created exciting possibilities for application to human health and environmental risk assessment. Yet this rapid advance of science and technology can be overshadowed by inconsistency in study design and sampling strategies; by the lack of quantitative or qualitative correlations of exposure, dose, or adverse effects; and by the lack of bioinformatics tools and analytical methods necessary to manage the volume of research findings. These limitations may render results uninterpretable and difficult, if not impossible, to use in risk assessment. Recommendations will be discussed to improve integrating systems biology and genomics into risk assessment so that the inherent promise of these new approaches can be realized.

Biology↗

The micro-macro spectrum of medical informatics challenges: from molecular medicine to transforming health care in a globalizing society.

BACKGROUND: Medical informatics has always encompassed a very broad spectrum of techniques for clinical and biomedical research, education and practice. There has been a concomitant variety of depth of specialization, ranging from the routine application of information processing methods to cutting-edge research on fundamental problems of computer-based systems and their relations to cognition and perception in biomedicine. OBJECTIVES: Challenges for the field can be placed in perspective by considering the scale of each--from the highly detailed scientific problems in bioinformatics and emerging molecular medicine to the broad and complex social problems of introducing medical informatics into web-related global settings. METHODS: The scale of an informatics problem is not only determined by the inherent physical space in which it exists, but also by the conceptual complexity that it involves, reinforcing the need to investigate the semantic web within which medical informatics is defined. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Bioinformatics, biomedical imaging and language understanding provide examples that anchor research and practice in biomedical informatics at the detailed, scientific end of the spectrum. Traditional concerns of medical informatics in the clinical arena make up the broad mid-range of the spectrum, while novel social interaction models of competition and cooperation will be needed to understand the implications of distributed health information technology for individual and societal change in an increasingly interconnected world.

Databases, Factual↗

tmRDB (tmRNA database).

Maintained at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Texas, the tmRNA database (tmRDB) is accessible at the URL http://psyche.uthct.edu/dbs/tmRDB/tmRDB.html with mirror sites located at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama (http://www.ag.auburn.edu/mirror/tmRDB/) and the Bioinformatics Research Center, Aarhus, Denmark (http://www.bioinf.au.dk/tmRDB/). The tmRDB collects and distributes information relevant to the study of tmRNA. In trans-translation, this molecule combines properties of tRNA and mRNA and binds several proteins to form the tmRNP. Related RNPs are likely to be functional in all bacteria. In this release of tmRDB, 186 new entries from 10 bacterial groups for a total of 274 tmRNA sequences have been added. Lists of the tmRNAs and the corresponding tmRNA-encoded tag-peptides are presented in alphabetical and phylogenetic order. The tmRNA sequences are aligned manually, assisted by computational tools, to determine base pairs supported by comparative sequence analysis. The tmRNA alignment, available in a variety of formats, provides the basis for the secondary and tertiary structure of each tmRNA molecule. Three-dimensional models of the tmRNAs and their associated proteins in PDB format give evidence for the recent progress that has been made in the understanding of tmRNP structure and function.

Bacteria↗

Allerton III. Beyond livestock genomics.

Throughout the Allerton III Conference, several consistent research needs were identified across scientific disciplines. First, additional basic research is needed to identify genomic mechanisms and novel genes/proteins in a variety of tissues under different conditions. Second, expansion of the infrastructure of the scientific community is needed. This can best be accomplished by additional competitive grants programs for training grants, program project grants, and multidisciplinary research projects. Third, the need for improved tools for animal bioinformatics was emphasized. Fourth, competitive grants programs for extension/outreach efforts and application of genomic technologies to production systems are needed. Finally, efforts to publicize and document the benefits of animal genomics for improved human health and animal production systems to members of Congress and the general public should be enhanced.

Agriculture↗

Proteomic technologies and their application to pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a devastating disease that represents an important health problem. It spreads rapidly at a time when patients have relatively few symptoms and consequently is often only detected at an advanced stage when treatment options are limited. Rapid developments in technology and bioinformatics have recently led to a surge in proteomics-based cancer research. Comparative analysis of protein profiles from nonmalignant and malignant pancreas cells or tissue, or from different stages of pancreatic cancer, potentially offer unique insight into the biology of this tumor type. Furthermore, proteomic approaches may provide novel diagnostic or therapeutic markers for this disease. Although such analyses are still in their infancy, they show great potential in the ongoing battle against this dismal disease.

Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional↗

Bioinformatics training in the USA.

This paper provides an overview of the history and funding of bioinformatics training in the USA, and summarises some of the challenges and key features associated with bioinformatics training programmes at PhD level. The paper includes compilations of current PhD bioinformatics training programmes and sources of funding.

Academic Dissertations as Topic↗

Epigenetic Profiling for Early Detection and Treatment Response Monitoring in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Protocol for a Prospective Translational Biomarker Study.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and continues to have poor survival outcomes, with most patients diagnosed at advanced stages of disease. In New Zealand, NSCLC contributes substantially to cancer inequities, with Māori communities experiencing disproportionately high incidence and mortality rates. Although low-dose computed tomography screening can improve early detection, major limitations remain, including false-positive findings, overdiagnosis, high infrastructure costs, and limited accessibility for rural and underserved populations. Liquid biopsy approaches using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), particularly DNA methylation profiling, have emerged as promising, minimally invasive strategies for improving cancer detection, treatment monitoring, and precision oncology. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to establish integrated genomic and epigenomic predictive and prognostic biomarkers using ctDNA, tumor tissue, and transcriptomic profiling to improve early detection, risk stratification, treatment selection and response prediction, and longitudinal monitoring, with particular emphasis on identifying molecular mechanisms associated with treatment resistance and disease progression. METHODS: This prospective observational translational biomarker study is being conducted through the University of Otago and associated respiratory and oncology services in New Zealand. The study will recruit participants with NSCLC (including squamous and nonsquamous subtypes), individuals referred to fast-track lung nodule assessment clinics, and nonmalignant respiratory controls. Serial peripheral blood sampling will be performed in selected participants at predefined clinical follow-up time points to evaluate treatment response and disease progression. The availability of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded archival tissues will be recorded, but will not be mandatory for enrollment. Genome-scale DNA methylation profiling will be performed using cell-free reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (cfRRBS), while targeted genomic profiling and transcriptomic analyses will be conducted using targeted sequencing panels and RNA sequencing. Integrative bioinformatic analyses will be used to identify molecular biomarkers associated with early-stage disease, advanced disease, treatment response, and therapeutic resistance. RESULTS: Ethics approval for the study has been obtained from the New Zealand Health and Disability Ethics Committee (2022 EXP 12566). This study commenced in 2022, and recruitment and biospecimen collection are ongoing. The study aims to recruit approximately 450 participants, including patients with NSCLC, individuals referred through respiratory diagnostic pathways, and nonmalignant controls. As of July 31, 2026, 205 participants have been recruited, with recruitment continuing until the target sample size is reached. Molecular and data analyses are ongoing, with additional publications expected as the cohort matures. CONCLUSIONS: This study will generate one of the first integrated genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic liquid biopsy datasets for NSCLC in New Zealand. The findings are expected to support the development of sensitive, accessible, and equitable blood-based biomarkers for NSCLC detection and treatment monitoring while also contributing to improved precision oncology approaches and reducing NSCLC inequities among Māori populations.

Humans↗

Training of the next generation of biostatisticians: a call to action in the U.S.

Two workshops (2001, 2003) were held by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to examine the need to train more biostatisticians in the U.S. to meet the increasing opportunities in the biomedical research enterprise. The supply of new PhD graduates in biostatistics in the U.S. has been relatively steady for the past two decades while the demand has increased dramatically. These workshops concluded that a renewed effort must be made in the U.S., led in part by the NIH, to add to and expand the existing training programs to increase the supply. This article summarizes those two workshops and their recommendations. Some progress has been made through a new biostatistics training program with emphasis in bioinformatics sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).

Biological Science Disciplines↗

Human protein reference database as a discovery resource for proteomics.

The rapid pace at which genomic and proteomic data is being generated necessitates the development of tools and resources for managing data that allow integration of information from disparate sources. The Human Protein Reference Database (http://www.hprd.org) is a web-based resource based on open source technologies for protein information about several aspects of human proteins including protein-protein interactions, post-translational modifications, enzyme-substrate relationships and disease associations. This information was derived manually by a critical reading of the published literature by expert biologists and through bioinformatics analyses of the protein sequence. This database will assist in biomedical discoveries by serving as a resource of genomic and proteomic information and providing an integrated view of sequence, structure, function and protein networks in health and disease.

Computational Biology↗

Arraying the orchestration of allograft pathology.

Microarrays, or gene chips, are exciting investigative tools for analyzing expression changes across thousands of genes in concert in tissues and cells of interest. Despite the relatively recent application of microarrays to transplant research, they hold great promise for unraveling the staging of rejection, stratifying patients towards more individualized treatment regimes, and discovering noninvasive biomarkers for monitoring of intragraft events. Bioinformatics tools are being developed to sift through the large data sets generated as "genomic fingerprints" of the underlying biologic pathways. Gene clustering and class prediction tools allow discovery of diagnostic and prognostic molecular signatures of health and disease. Oligonucleotide-based microarrays also have utility in genotyping polymorphic markers. This report reviews the current literature of microarray use in transplantation research, compares currently available array platforms, and discusses future application of this technology to clinical organ transplantation.

Biomarkers↗

Human molecular genetics research at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

The ICGEB started its activity in 1987 as a special project of UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) and operates now as a fully autonomous International Organization, of which 40 countries are members at present. The mandate of ICGEB is to become a Centre of excellence for research and training in modern biology addressed to the needs of the developing world. The ICGEB consists of two main laboratories, one in Trieste (where the direction of the Centre is also located) and one in New Delhi, plus a network of 30 Affiliated Centres. The Centre operates through: 1) specific research programs of hish scientific content at the Trieste and New Delhi laboratories; 2) long term training through post-doctoral and pre-doctoral fellowships; 3) short term training; 4) collaborative research program, through which the Centre finances research projects of major impact to the need of the Member States; 5) scientific services, namely consultation for scientific programs, distribution of reagents and a bioinformatics network particularly geared to the human genome research. The research on human molecular genetics in particularly active in the Trieste Component and concerns the study at the molecular level of several genes important for human health: control of DNA replication, response to infectious diseases, cardiocirculatory diseases, cystic fibrosis and cancer. The methodologies for developing new diagnostic methods and for developing gene therapy protocols are actively pursued. Through these programs, the member countries have access to state-of-the-art technologies anf know-how essential for the development of the molecular approaches to medicine brought forward by the study of the human genome.

Biotechnology↗