Prasad Lab I CCHMC

Our long-term research goal is to develop non-invasive approaches to predict drug safety in underrepresented populations by better understanding variability in drug metabolism, transport, and pharmacokinetics across populations. We quantify drug metabolizing enzymes, transporters, and endogenous metabolites (as biomarkers) in human tissues and biofluids using quantitative proteomics and metabolomics approaches, and then integrate these data along with genomics information into physiologically based pharmacokinetic models. Such an integrated approach allows an improved understanding of the interindividual variability in drug disposition and response, including drug interactions, and enables identification of specific biomarkers of drug metabolizing enzymes, transporters, and receptors. Our research is particularly important for predicting drug disposition and safety in specific populations (e.g., children, elderly, pregnant women, disease conditions, and specific races) in whom clinical trials are not routinely feasible.