Pharmacogenomics of Multiple Sclerosis: Current Status and Potential Applications

In the past decade, treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), especially with respect to disease modifying therapies (DMTs), has substantially improved. Responses to DMTs, such as interferon β and glatiramer acetate, are not uniform, with considerable variability seen in efficacy and toxicity. Furthermore, unexpected serious side effects have been reported for recently developed therapies. There are currently no reliable markers for the interindividual differences in drug response prior to the initiation of therapy for MS. It would therefore be profoundly useful if we could apply genomic based personalized therapy to MS patients. Here, we review the current literature on the pharmacogenomics of MS and discuss the future application of pharmacogenomics as a potential guide for clinical decision making.