Electronic health record data has identified drugs that may stall organ rejection in transplant patients, according to an article in Nature. Researchers first identified genes that are likely to contribute to organ rejections. They were then able to identify drugs that affected the activity of the genes by analyzing EHR data in a public data registry that held information and studies of several different transplanted organs, including livers, hearts and kidneys.
One of the drugs identified as a potential rejection-fighter was the commonly prescribed Atorvastatin, better known as Lipitor. The research further highlights the benefits of EHRs to find new ways to use existing drugs and improve population health. The study itself was published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Article