1.1 Systems biology and patient management 19th June 2024

The integration of systems biology into all stages of the patient lifecycle (i.e. the patient’s journey through the healthcare system, from initial health assessment to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care) may not yet be fully realized due to various challenges, including the complexity of biological systems, technological limitations, regulatory hurdles, and resource constraints. While systems biology approaches are increasingly being incorporated into biomedical research and clinical practice, there is still work to ensure seamless integration into routine patient care across healthcare systems. Nonetheless, efforts are ongoing to overcome these challenges and advance the application of systems biology in precision medicine to benefit patients worldwide

Bioinformatics Beyond Pills: Transforming Health for All

Benjamin Dizier  Head of Biopharm Diagnostics at AstraZeneca

It is crucial for biopharma manufacturers to operate within regulatory frameworks while actively involving patients across various stages of the healthcare continuum, including discovery, research, development, distribution, patient advocacy, and medical access. This involvement entails more than merely providing medications; it involves collaborating with patients to enhance their understanding of health and disease mechanisms and embracing more holistic health outcomes.  Biopharma manufacturers can delve deeper into the intricate biological networks underlying diseases and therapeutic responses by integrating systems biology approaches into their operations. Engaging patients in research and development processes allows for incorporating patient-specific data into systems biology models. This personalized approach facilitates the identification of optimal treatment strategies tailored to individual patient’s biological characteristics and disease profiles. Additionally, involving patients in advocacy ensures their voices are heard in healthcare access, affordability, and needs discussions.

Pharmacometric models for improved therapeutic drug Monitoring

Erwin Dreesen Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy at KU Leuven, Belgium

Pharmacometric models for improved therapeutic drug monitoring refer to mathematical models in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to optimize patients’ dosing and monitoring of medications. Pharmacometrics models integrate data on drug concentrations in the body (pharmacokinetics) with data on drug effects (pharmacodynamics) to predict how a drug will behave in a given individual under specific conditions. By using these models, healthcare professionals can personalize drug dosing regimens to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes while minimizing side effects or toxicity. Improved therapeutic drug monitoring through pharmacometrics models can lead to more effective and safer medication use in clinical practice.

Unravelling MAFLD: From Molecular Mechanisms to Targeted Solutions

Andrew Walakira TranSYS  University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

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Towards curing Parkinson’s disease with AI

Katarina Mihajlović  TranSYS Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Spain

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