Pharmacogenomics

The study of pharmacogenomics is a prominent example of the emerging discipline of precision medicine, which seeks to individualize medical therapy rather than treating groups of patients in the same generic manner. The field of pharmagenomics investigates how a person’s DNA influences how they react to certain medications. In certain circumstances, the makeup of your 

DNA can determine whether or not a drug causes a negative reaction to it, whether or not it benefits you, or whether or not it has any effect at all. Your health can be improved with the help of pharmacogenomics, which can inform you about whether or not a certain medication is likely to be beneficial to you and whether or not it is safe for you to use. If your doctor has this information, they will be better able to discover a medication that will be effective for you.

The Workings of Pharmacogenomics

There are various ways in which drugs can affect your body, and these ways vary, depending not just on how you take the drug but also on where in your body the drug acts. When you take a drug, your body has to work to dismantle it before it can deliver its effects to where they are needed. 

In order to determine how your body reacts to the medication, your DNA can play a role in more than one step of the procedure. Several instances of these interactions include the following:

Drug Receptors

For some medications to operate correctly, they must bind to receptors, proteins found on cells’ surfaces. Receptor type and number are determined by your genetics, which can influence your response to the medicine. You may require a greater or lower dosage of the drug or a different drug than other individuals. 

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Drug Uptake 

In order to reach the cells and tissues where they work, some medications must be administered orally. A person’s genetic make-up can influence how some medications are absorbed. The drug may not act as well or build up in other places of your body as a result of decreased uptake. The rate at which certain medications are flushed from your body depends in part on your genetic makeup. Drugs may not be able to do their job if they are eliminated from the cell too rapidly. 

Drug Breakdown 

The rate at which your body degrades a medicine depends in part on your genetic makeup. As a result, you may need more or a different drug if you break down the drug more quickly than most individuals do. You may require less medication if your body breaks down the substance more slowly.

Verdict: How will this affect your health?

Despite the fact that pharmacogenomic testing is only utilized for a select number of drugs at present, the field is increasing at a rapid rate. It will become increasingly important for us to expand our knowledge of how pharmacogenomics can be used to protect your health and improve the treatment you receive. Talk to your medical provider about the possible effects that pharmacogenomics could have on your health.

Originally posted 2022-08-10 01:27:12.