Pharmacogenetics News and Research

RSS

The terms pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics are often used interchangeably to describe a field of research focused on how genes affect individual responses to medicines. Whether a medicine works well for you—or whether it causes serious side effects—depends, to a certain extent, on your genes.

Just as genes contribute to whether you will be tall or short, black-haired or blond, your genes also determine how you will respond to medicines. Genes are like recipes—they carry instructions for making protein molecules. As medicines travel through your body, they interact with thousands of proteins. Small differences in the composition or quantities of these molecules can affect how medicines do their jobs.

These differences can be due to diet, level of activity, or the medicines a person takes, but they can also be due to differences in genes. By understanding the genetic basis of drug responses, scientists hope to enable doctors to prescribe the drugs and doses best suited for each individual.

Pharmacogenomics holds promise for personalized dementia therapies

Pharmacogenomics-based studies in the research for personalized therapeutics for dementia

8 Nov 2023

AMP releases consensus recommendations for CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 genotyping assays

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global molecular diagnostic professional society, today published consensus recommendations to aid in the design and validation of clinical CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 genotyping assays, promote standardization of testing across different laboratories, and improve patient care.

10 Jul 2023

Study to measure the impact of whole genome sequencing in patients with cardiovascular disease

Henry Ford Health research teams are launching a series of clinical studies in partnership with Illumina Inc., a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, to assess the impact of comprehensive genomic testing in various disease areas.

11 Apr 2023

Study evaluates benefits of implementing a pharmacogenetic panel before drug initiation

In a recent study published in The Lancet, researchers performed an implementation study of a 12-gene pharmacogenetic panel across seven European countries to investigate whether a gene-drug interaction guidedinteraction-guided prescribing strategy could prevent its adverse reactions.

8 Feb 2023

Novel rapid genetic test could spare 14,000 newborns from lifelong hearing loss

Clinicians and nurses in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) across Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) are the world’s first to deploy genedrive’s MT-RNR1 ID Kit, a new rapid genetic point of care test (POCT) to screen babies for the genetic variant m.1555A>G when admitted with suspected sepsis

4 Apr 2022

Study shows clinical value of pharmacogenomic testing for patients with treatment-resistant depression

Pharmacogenetic testing was associated with nearly a two-fold (89 per cent) increase in remission rates compared to treatment as usual in a Centre for Addiction and Mental Health- (CAMH-)led clinical study just published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

29 Mar 2022

World renowned medical oncologist joins Henry Ford Cancer Institute

Internationally renowned medical oncologist Philip A. Philip, M.D., Ph.D., has joined Henry Ford Cancer Institute as director of Gastrointestinal Oncology and Neuroendocrine Oncology, medical director of Research and Clinical Care Integration, and co-leader of the Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center.

6 Jan 2022

Study pinpoints a potential pathway for treating epileptic seizures in patients with autism

Autism affects about 2% of children in the United States, and about 30% of these children have seizures. Recent large-scale genetic studies revealed that genetic variants in a sodium channel, called voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.2, is a leading cause of autism.

15 Sep 2021

Asthmatic children who are overweight or obese less likely to respond to inhaled steroids

Asthmatic children are less likely to respond to inhaled steroid medication if they are overweight or obese, and this leads to more frequent asthma attacks, according to research presented at the 'virtual' European Respiratory Society International Congress today (Wednesday).

8 Sep 2021

Testing several genes can provide precise knowledge about the choice of right medicinal products

Most of us have genetic variations that increase the risk of medicinal products not being effective. In order to provide a more effective treatment with fewer side effects, we need to analyse more of these genetic variations.

22 Jun 2021

AMP’s new consensus can promote standardization of PGx gene/allele testing, improve patient care

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, molecular diagnostic professional society, today published consensus recommendations to aid in the design and validation of clinical CYP2D6 assays, promote standardization of testing across different laboratories and improve patient care

11 Jun 2021

New model can predict the risk of adverse side effects of cancer treatment

The risk of serious adverse effects on the blood status and bone marrow of patients during chemotherapy can be predicted by a model developed at Linköping University, Sweden.

12 Nov 2020

Genetic discoveries show promise for developing new treatment targets for schizophrenia

In recent years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many different genetic variants associated with schizophrenia.

22 May 2020

AMP publishes evidence-based recommendations to standardize clinical genotyping tests for warfarin response

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, molecular diagnostic professional society, today published consensus, evidence-based recommendations to aid in the design, validation and interpretation of clinical genotyping tests for the prediction of warfarin response.

6 May 2020

Study identifies genetic marker which could personalize treatment for Crohn's disease

The largest study ever to look at why an expensive and commonly used group of drugs fails some patients with Crohn's disease has identified a genetic marker which could individualize drug treatment.

7 Oct 2019

Common genetic variant explains why immunotherapy often fails in Crohn's disease

The reason why a commonly used range of immunotherapy drugs is not effective in some patients with Crohn’s disease has so far not been identified, until now.

7 Oct 2019

AMP offers recommendations to aid in design and validation of clinical CYP2C9 assays

The Association for Molecular Pathology, the premier global, molecular diagnostic professional society, today published consensus, evidence-based recommendations to aid in the design and validation of clinical CYP2C9 assays, promote standardization of testing across different laboratories and improve patient care.

10 May 2019

Access to real-time genotype data influences prescriber behavior after PCI

Today, in a late-breaking featured clinical research session at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions 2018, researchers from Penn Medicine present first-of-its-kind data on the impact of real-time CYP2C19 genotype results when prescribing antiplatelet drugs in the clinic.

13 Mar 2019

Experts issue new guidelines for use of genetic testing in psychiatric care

An expert committee of psychiatrists and geneticists has issued revised guidelines for the use of genetic testing in psychiatric care.

12 Mar 2019

New collaboration aims to prevent life-threatening adverse reactions to medications

The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix and Banner Health are collaborating to prevent life-threatening adverse reactions to medications.

27 Feb 2019