A multi-scale pipeline linking drug transcriptomics with pharmacokinetics predicts in vivo interactions of tuberculosis drugs

Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 11;11(1):5643. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-84827-0.

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest infectious disease worldwide. The design of new treatments for TB is hindered by the large number of candidate drugs, drug combinations, dosing choices, and complex pharmaco-kinetics/dynamics (PK/PD). Here we study the interplay of these factors in designing combination therapies by linking a machine-learning model, INDIGO-MTB, which predicts in vitro drug interactions using drug transcriptomics, with a multi-scale model of drug PK/PD and pathogen-immune interactions called GranSim. We calculate an in vivo drug interaction score (iDIS) from dynamics of drug diffusion, spatial distribution, and activity within lesions against various pathogen sub-populations. The iDIS of drug regimens evaluated against non-replicating bacteria significantly correlates with efficacy metrics from clinical trials. Our approach identifies mechanisms that can amplify synergistic or mitigate antagonistic drug interactions in vivo by modulating the relative distribution of drugs. Our mechanistic framework enables efficient evaluation of in vivo drug interactions and optimization of combination therapies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antitubercular Agents / pharmacokinetics*
  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Computer Simulation
  • Drug Interactions*
  • Granuloma / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Metabolic Clearance Rate / drug effects
  • Transcriptome / genetics*
  • Tuberculosis / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antitubercular Agents