Personalizing antiretroviral therapy: is it a reality?

The concept of personalizing antiretroviral therapy is not novel, since the complexity of the HIV patient and their therapy has always demanded consideration of the patient's 'pharmacoecology', taking into account factors such as adherence, drug-drug and food-drug interactions, underlying disease and host states, such as organ dysfunction and pregnancy. Recent advances in science have taken this one step further with the technology now available to use both a candidate and whole-genome approach to explore the genetics of host-virus interactions, as well as the pharmacogenetics of the toxicity and efficacy of antiretroviral therapy. The genetics of host-virus interactions have improved our understanding of the pathogenesis of HIV which will aid in the research and development of an HIV vaccine. Most published HIV pharmacogenetic studies have utilized a candidate gene approach. Although these types of studies have provided insight into the pathogenesis and pharmacogenetics of drug disposition, drug interactions, drug efficacy and toxicity and host-virus interactions, very few will lend themselves to a widespread clinical application. The application of HLA-B*5701 screening to prevent abacavir hypersensitivity acts as an important example of the successful widespread implementation of a pharmacogenetic test into the clinic and defines the key steps necessary for the clinical application of pharmacogenetic tests in general.