Pharmacodynamics of immune response biomarkers of interest for evaluation of treatment effects in bacterial infections

This mini-review discusses the pharmacodynamics of immune-related biomarkers in the area of bacterial infectious diseases that could be of interest from a pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) perspective in the evaluation of treatment effects. The host response to an infection is often poorly defined both in preclinical assessments and in clinical practice when it comes to characterisation of PK and PK/PD relationships. Through population modelling, the time courses and variability of immune response variables can be quantified. Incorporation of such biomarker information into PK and PK/PD models may guide the evaluation of individual response to treatment (right antibiotic, more antibiotic, less antibiotic) and when to stop treatment. Furthermore, translation of results from preclinical systems to clinical scenarios may be improved with the incorporation of biomarker information. Potential biomarkers for these purposes are discussed and a few modelling examples are provided.