Ricardo Stein et al. Thaís Beuren Luis Ramudo Cela Filipe Ferrari
Introduction, the DNA and the Genes
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is the science of understanding the interaction between genes and drugs. The analysis of specific areas of the DNA provides information about a certain drug metabolism and about the expected response to a certain treatment. PGx also aims to reduce the incidence of adverse drug events (ADEs)., Many studies in this area have focused on the identification of genes that predispose to diseases, modulate drug response, affect drug concentration and correlate with adverse effects of patients exposed to different types of drugs, so the desired therapeutic benefit is achieved.
The causes of individual responses to a same drug dosage include age, genetic and immunological factors, comorbidities and interaction between active principles. Genetic variability may influence not only pharmacodynamics, but also pharmacokinetics, which studies the relationship of the absorption, metabolism and excretion of the drug to its systemic concentration.
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