Pharmacogenomics unites the science of how drugs work (pharmacology) and the science of the human genome (genomics). This science uses a person’s genome to identify the drug and drug doses that are most likely to successfully treat that person’s medical condition. Pharmacogenomics is important in cancer treatment and chemotherapy drug metabolism.
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What is pharmacogenomics and how does it work?
Pharmacogenomics looks at how your DNA affects the way you respond to drugs. In some cases, your DNA can affect whether you have a bad reaction to a drug or whether a drug helps you or has no effect.
What are some examples of pharmacogenomic testing in cancer?
Here are some examples of pharmacogenomic testing in cancer care: Colorectal cancer. Irinotecan (Camptosar) is a type of chemotherapy. Doctors commonly use it to treat colon cancer. In some people, genetic variations cause a shortage of the UGT1A1 enzyme.
How do cancer drugs work?
Many drugs that treat cancer need to be "turned on" to work. This process is called activation. Proteins called enzymes speed up chemical reactions in the body. This activates a drug so that it can do its job.
What is the difference between genetic testing and pharmacogenomics?
For example, a test may look for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are linked with a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The results from standard genetic test may prompt preventive or risk reduction steps. These include: Pharmacogenomics is a type of genetic testing. It looks for small variations within genes.
How does pharmacogenomics work?
After you take a drug, your body needs to break it down and get it to the intended area. Your DNA can affect multiple steps in this process to influence how you respond to the drug. Some examples of these interactions include
Why do drugs need to attach to proteins?
Some drugs need to attach to proteins on the surface of cells called receptors in order to work properly . Your DNA determines what type of receptors you have and how many, which can affect your response to the drug. You might need a higher or lower amount of the drug than most people or a different drug.
What is drug breakdown?
Drug Breakdown. Targeted Drug Development . Pharmacogenomics is an important example of the field of precision medicine, which aims to tailor medical treatment to each person or to a group of people. Pharmacogenomics looks at how your DNA affects the way you respond to drugs. In some cases, your DNA can affect whether you have a bad reaction ...
What happens if a drug is removed from the cell too quickly?
If drugs are removed from the cell too quickly, they might not have time to act. Example: Statins and Muscle Problems. Statins are a type of drug that act in the liver to help lower cholesterol. In order for statins to work correctly, they must first be taken into the liver.
How does DNA affect drug uptake?
Drug Uptake. Some drugs need to be actively taken into the tissues and cells in which they act. Your DNA can affect uptake of certain drugs. Decreased uptake can mean that the drug does not work as well and can cause it to build up in other parts of your body, which can cause problems.
What does this mean for your health?
Talk to your healthcare provider about what pharmacogenomics might mean for your health.
Why do drug companies use pharmacogenomics?
Drug companies are also using pharmacogenomics to develop and market medicines Using Genes to Guide for people with specific genetic profiles. By studying a drug only in people likely to Prescriptions Article from benefit from it, drug companies might be able to speed up the drug’s development Inside Life Science and maximize its therapeutic benefit.
What is PGRN in medicine?
, through the Pharmacogenomics Research Network (PGRN), have studied the effect of genes on medications relevant to a wide range of conditions, including asthma, depression, cancer, and heart disease. The research findings are collected in an online resource called PharmGKB
What is CPIC in medical?
(CPIC) was started as a shared partnership between the PGRN and PharmGKB to help lower the barrier to clinical use of pharmacogenetic tests. CPIC creates, curates, and posts freely available, peer-reviewed, evidence-based, updatable,
Can doctors prescribe drugs to people who don't have those genes?
In addition, if scientists can identify genes that cause serious side effects, doctors could prescribe those drugs only to people who do not have those genes. This would Other Resources
What is the name of the science that merges the worlds of pharmacology and genomics?
Pharmacogenomics, as the name suggests, merges the worlds of pharmacology with genomics. How patients respond to drugs, and which side effects they encounter, can in part be explained by their genome.
How does genomics help cancer patients?
This crucial step in the patient pathway fully embeds genomics into routine cancer care. This allows clinicians to personalise treatment decisions based not only on the DNA variation causing or driving their disease, but also by looking at how their body metabolises drugs.
What is genomic testing?
Genomic testing in Genomic Laboratory Hubs is, therefore, expanding beyond searching for changes in DNA that might cause or drive a patient’s disease, to look at how a patient’s genome influences how their body breaks down drugs, moving us another step closer to truly personalised medicine.
What is the purpose of genetic analysis in cancer?
Genomic analysis of both germline (usually a blood or saliva sample) and somatic variation (detected by looking at the tumour DNA) in cancer patients can contribute to accurate cancer diagnosis and tailored treatment and management plans, as well as helping to identify the risk to other family members.
What is genomics in healthcare?
In recent years, the word ‘genomics’ (understanding the genome) has been at the forefront of advancements in healthcare science. Its growing role is clear in many steps of the patient pathway, from diagnosis, through tailored treatment strategies, to screening at-risk family members. While the concept of personalised medicine is not a new idea, advances in genomic technologies, such as whole genome sequencing, are expanding the use of genomic data to influence treatment decisions across a growing list of clinical specialties.
What is the role of 5-FU in cancer?
The dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) enzyme, which is encoded by the DPYD gene, 2 plays a role in the breakdown of drugs such as 5-FU and is responsible for the elimination of over 80% of administered 5-FU.
What are some examples of pharmacogenomic testing in cancer care?
Here are some examples of pharmacogenomic testing in cancer care: Colorectal cancer. Irinotecan (Camptosar) is a type of chemotherapy. Doctors commonly use it to treat colon cancer. In some people, genetic variations cause a shortage of the UGT1A1 enzyme. This enzyme is responsible for metabolizing irinotecan.
How does pharmacogenomics improve patient safety?
Severe drug reactions cause more than an estimated 120,000 hospitalizations each year. Pharmacogenomics may prevent these by identifying patients at risk.
What enzyme is used in pharmacogenomic testing for ALL?
Doctors use pharmacogenomic testing for children with ALL. About 10% of people have genetic variations in an enzyme called thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT). TPMT is responsible for metabolizing chemotherapy for ALL.
Why do doctors use test results?
Test results help the doctor choose the safest and most effective drug and dose. Pharmacogenomics is constantly changing. Researchers continue to identify gene variations that affect how a drug works. As personalized medicine grows, testing for gene variations may become more common.
How do variations affect how fast a drug changes into its active form?
The variations affect how fast a drug changes into its active form. For example, some bodies break down drugs slowly. This means standard doses of treatment may not work as well. Drug deactivation. Drugs also need to be "turned off" to limit the drug’s exposure to healthy tissues.
What are the factors that influence a person's reaction to a drug?
This means that they may have more side effects from the drug. Besides pharmacogenomics, other factors may influence a person’s reaction to a drug: Age and gender. The cancer’s stage. Lifestyle habits, such as smoking and drinking alcohol.
Why do drugs work differently?
Why drugs work differently in different people. Drug activation. Many drugs that treat cancer need to be "turned on" to work. This process is called activation. Proteins called enzymes speed up chemical reactions in the body. This activates a drug so that it can do its job. Each person inherits variations in enzymes.