PG

PG (Pharmacogenomics)

Pharmacogenomics (PG) is the study of how genes affect a person's response to drugs. This relatively new field combines pharmacology (the science of drugs) and genomics (the study of genes and their functions) to develop effective, safe medications and doses that will be tailored to a person's genetic makeup.

Many drugs that are currently available are "one size fits all," but they don't work the same way for everyone. It can be difficult to predict who will benefit from a medication, who will not respond at all, and who will experience negative side effects (called adverse drug reactions). Adverse drug reactions are a significant cause of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. With the knowledge gained from the Human Genome Project, researchers are learning how inherited differences in genes affect the body's response to medications. These genetic differences will be used to predict whether a medication will be effective for a particular person and to help prevent adverse drug reactions.

The field of pharmacogenomics is still in its early stages, and its use is currently quite limited. However, as more genetic tests become available and more health care providers are trained in genetics, pharmacogenomics is expected to have a broad impact on medicine.

History

The term "pharmacogenomics" was first used in the late 1990s, following the completion of the Human Genome Project. The project, which was an international research effort to determine the sequence of the human genome and identify the genes that it contains, provided the tools for studying how genes affect the way the body responds to drugs.

Applications

Pharmacogenomics has the potential to provide tailored drug therapy based on an individual's genetic makeup. This could mean that a person could receive a drug that is more likely to help their condition, and less likely to cause side effects. In addition, pharmacogenomics could help reduce the trial-and-error approach to drug treatment, potentially speeding up the time it takes to find the right drug and dose for a person.

Challenges

Despite its potential, there are many challenges to implementing pharmacogenomics. These include the need for more research, the high cost of developing pharmacogenomic tests, the lack of trained health care providers, and ethical, legal, and social issues.

See also

• Pharmacology
• Genomics
• Human Genome Project
• Adverse drug reaction

References

PG Resources
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