Dr. Kesheng Wang, associate professor in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology, is a co-investigator on an interdisciplinary project led by Dr. Sam Harirforoosh of the department of pharmaceutical sciences in the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy.  Their project will be a collaboration between scientists from the Colleges of Medicine, Public Health and Pharmacy.  The medication STRIBILD® is indicated as a complete regimen for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adult patients who have no antiretroviral treatment history or to replace the current antiretroviral regimen in those who are virologically-suppressed.  The proposal tests the hypothesis that the genetic makeup of an individual influences STRIBILD® pharmacokinetics and subsequent pharmacodynamics and attempts to characterize patient response as an expression of that genetic makeup.

The study will consist of 120 HIV-infected adults on the STRIBILD® regimen.  A blood sample will be collected for genotyping and drug trough concentration evaluation.  The researchers state a selective understanding of gene interactions could help to personalize STRIBILD usage in managing HIV.  A reviewer of the funding proposal states, “Dr. Harirforoosh has put together a(n) interdisciplinary team of scientists…where each of the contributors bring a unique role critical to the mission…This research is utilizing the skill sets residing in the Academic Health Science Center and leveraging them to create synergy to optimize ETSU’s experts.”