HYST
Adverse drug reactions (ADR's) are a common cause of drug-related morbidity and may account for about 6.5% of all hospital admissions. The purpose of this research is to investigate the mechanism(s) of drug-induced and/or chemical-induced hypersensitivity reactions. This research is directed towards the prediction and prevention of adverse drug reactions, and in particular, the type B or idiosyncratic ADRs. We feel that the problem needs to be addressed from complementary perspectives:
- A chemical perspective in order to design out toxicity;
- Development of accurate diagnostic assays for hypersensitivity reactions; and
- An individual perspective in order to define the genetic and non-genetic risk factors so that drug therapy can be individualised.
This application addresses all perspectives by investigating hapten formation in patient plasma, evaluating the cellular mechanism of hypersensitive reactions induced by drugs and/or chemicals and identification of genomic factors that predispose individuals to adverse reactions.
Key Contacts
James McKenna mckennaj@liv.ac.uk