Pharmacomicrobiomics in drug discovery and precision medicine

Pharmacomicrobiomics is an emerging field that investigates the interplay between the human microbiome—particularly the gut microbiota—and drug responses. While pharmacogenomics has demonstrated the influence of individual genetic backgrounds on variability in drug efficacy and toxicity, the gut microbiome is now recognized as another critical factor in this context.For example, there is a complex bidirectional interaction between non-antibiotic drugs, the gut microbiome, and commonly prescribed medications. Moreover, the composition of the gut microbiome has been associated with antitumor responses.Microbiome-targeted interventions offer promising opportunities, such as: a) personalizing drug regimens by integrating host genetic data with microbiome profiles. b) modulating the microbiome (e.g., through probiotics, diet, or antibiotics) to enhance drug efficacy or reduce toxicity and c) identifying microbiome-based biomarkers to predict patient responses and adverse drug reactions.Inter-individual genetic variation contributes to the heterogeneity of drug responses, posing a significant public health challenge. The microbiome has been proposed as a key determinant of drug efficacy and toxicity. Researchers suggest that pharmacomicrobiomics, together with pharmacogenomics, could help address this issue.Such integration may accelerate the discovery of novel therapeutic targets, antimicrobials, probiotics, prebiotics, and other microbiome-modulating strategies.Advancing research that combines microbiome-omics data, systems biology, and pharmacology could catalyze progress in this field, ultimately improving the diagnosis and treatment of complex multifactorial diseases such as cancer. In turn, this approach could facilitate broader access to personalized medicine, reducing both the economic burden and the personal costs associated with these diseases.We expect this issue to address the following themes related to the microbiome’s influence on drug efficacy and safety:1. Modification of drug chemical structures by microbial enzymes, affecting drug activation or inactivation.2. Impact of microbiome alterations on drug absorption and bioavailability.3. Interactions between the microbiome and host immune responses and metabolism, influencing treatment outcomes.4. Effects of changes in microbiome composition on patient responses to drug Topic editors: Nora Gutiérrez-Nájera, Verónica Jiménez-Rojas, Gayatri Sharma Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79683/pharmacomicrobiomics-in-drug-discovery-and-precision-medicine