Project No. lzp-2024/1-0303

 

Source of funding:  Latvian Council of Science

Project period: 01.01.2025. – 31.12.2028. (36 months)

Total budget: 300 000 EUR

Project leader: Professor Sigita Kazune

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Participation from our group: Jānis Kurlovics and Egils Stalidzans

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Objective: 

The project aims to develop personalized prophylactic antimicrobial therapy for specific patient groups by optimizing perioperative cefazolin dosing in spinal surgeries. This approach seeks to improve antibacterial therapy effectiveness, reduce side effects, and prevent antibiotic-resistant strains.

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The Computational Systems Biology Group will lead the development of the Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model and establish key descriptive pharmacometric parameters, ensuring data-driven precision in dose optimization. Their work is essential for translating raw clinical and chemical data into an adaptable, personalized dosing strategy that maximizes therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing risks.

Cefazolin concentrations in intervertebral discs will be analyzed and correlated with plasma levels to create a pharmacokinetic model, enabling individualized dosing. By promoting data-driven, personalized antibiotic use, OPATS-PKPD will improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and contribute to a more effective, coordinated fight against antimicrobial resistance — safeguarding public health in Latvia and globally.

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Summary:

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Degenerative spinal diseases and related symptoms are among the leading causes of disability worldwide. Efforts to prevent or slow the progression of spinal degeneration significantly improve patients' quality of life while reducing national and employer expenses by minimizing work incapacity and productivity loss. The OPATS-PKPD project directly addresses these challenges by tackling the growing threat of uncontrolled antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — a major driver of rising healthcare costs. The project focuses on enhancing healthcare efficiency for this specific patient group by deepening the understanding of the relationship between antibacterial drug dosage and therapeutic effectiveness.

 

The core innovation lies in developing a personalized, optimized perioperative cefazolin dosing protocol tailored for spinal surgery patients. By analyzing cefazolin concentrations in intervertebral discs and correlating them with plasma levels, the project will create a pharmacokinetic model that enables precise, individualized dosing. This approach reduces the risk of side effects while preventing the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains — a major concern in Latvian hospitals.

 

The project supports a shift toward coordinated, data-driven strategies for managing antimicrobial resistance. Beyond improving the quantity and quality of clinical data, the analysis of these results will drive better decision-making across all levels of healthcare. The developed dosing protocol will be implemented in clinical practice at the Traumatology and Orthopedics Hospital, with the potential for global application due to its adaptable model structure.

 

Additionally, the project aims to overcome a persistent challenge in medical research: ineffective interdisciplinary collaboration. Differences in terminology, culture, and specialized knowledge often prevent the full utilization of existing data and expertise. The OPATS-PKPD project fosters stronger interdisciplinary cooperation among medical professionals, chemists, mathematicians, and pharmacologists. This collaboration ensures that each discipline’s specialized skills contribute to a robust, data-driven PK/PD model.

 

The long-term goal is to expand this personalized pharmacokinetic modeling approach to other antibacterial therapies, incorporating real-time microbiological data and additional antibacterial agents.

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