Personalized Medicine: One dose does not fit all!

Your own genetic makeup predicts your response to medicines and your level of inherited risk for common diseases

Personalized medicine has several focuses. One is to determine whether you are at risk for common disorders. Traditionally, genetics focused on rare mutations found in certain families. Today, it is becoming possible to look at networks of genes relevant to specific disorders to determine your personal level of risk. We estimate your level of inherited risk by considering this network of information. According to this information, the level of risk varies widely.

Another focus is drug response. The forms of drug processing enzymes that you have inherited determine the right medicine and dose for you. You will not benefit from medications that you cannot activate. Normal doses of medicines will not help you if you very rapidly process the drug to inactive forms. Normal doses may be toxic to you if you only very slowly eliminate the drug.

Please check-out warfarindosing.org for a real-time example of how a little genetic information goes a long way to make warfarin a safer blood thinner! This is an example of pharmacogenomics, how the body's response to drugs is influenced by specific genetic factors. These inherited differences are well defined and can be measured easily and accurately, using DNA obtained by rubbing a swab on the inside of your cheek. Learn a little about personalized medicine, courtesy of the University of Utah!