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A New Era Begins
The data generated by the and the are just beginning to be understood.
We know what books are on the shelves of the human genetic
library, but we are just beginning to understand what is written
in them and what it means in terms of human health and disease.
Scientists already have used data from the Human
Genome Project to pinpoint many genes that are associated
with breast cancer, muscle disease and blindness. Scientists
at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and all over the world are working
to identify and understand the function of these and other
disease-related genes.
This new era in genetics heralds a new approach
to biological and pharmacological research. In the past, researchers
studied one or a few genes at a time. Technological advances
now allow the systematic study of whole-genome sequences,
so that research that may have taken years in the past now
takes weeks to months. GSK is a leader within the pharmaceutical
industry in these new approaches to learning more about the
causes and treatment of disease.
Genomics
Genomics, which involves discovering the biological
function of particular genes and how sets of genes and their
protein products interact in health and disease, is an important
part of this new approach to biological exploration. GSK is
a leader in genomic research within the pharmaceutical industry,
collaborating with other researchers around the world to identify
disease-related genes and gene sequences. Once such a gene
is identified and confirmed, scientists use genomic techniques
to discover the function of the gene or the protein it encodes.
For example, a gene variant that is associated
with a disease may code for a specific enzyme. When the role
of the enzyme and its relationship to the disease is understood,
it might provide a target for a new medicine. Even if the
identified gene is not a target itself, understanding its
function may provide insight into unknown biological mechanisms
that are not functioning as they should. The information gained
from genomics may help scientists better understand the underlying
biological causes of disease and create better medicines to
treat them.
Genomic techniques also can be used to help
predict the likelihood of some serious side effects, which
may increase the safety and efficiency of drug development.
Drugs that are likely to cause problems may be identified
earlier in the process, before they even reach the human testing
stage. This should help protect patients and increase the
speed and efficiency of drug development.
Pharmacogenetics
is another important aspect of genetic research that is already
impacting the development and use of medicines. Pharmacogenetics
is one practical application of genomics; it involves examining
the genetic make-up of a person to help determine how they
are likely to respond to a drug in terms of its effectiveness
and safety.
Dr. Allen Roses, Senior Vice-President of Pharmacogenetics at GSK,
predicts significant changes in the way medicines
are developed and prescribed in the near future: "The
impact that pharmacogenetics may have on health care over
the next few years could be tremendous," says Dr. Roses.
"This offers real opportunities for patients, health
care providers and pharmaceutical companies to benefit from
basic genetic research."
New pharmacogenetic techniques such as SNP mapping
will enable health care providers to predict which patients
are likely to benefit from a given medicine. This can be achieved
by comparing specific parts of their genetic profile to a
Medicine Response Test, which contains genetic markers known
to be associated with beneficial or harmful effects of treatment
with that medicine.
Dr. Roses continues, "There is still much
work to be done to convert information from the human genome
into better medicines. Once we have found a gene that predisposes
individuals to a certain disease, it could take many years
before a new medicine reaches the market. However, the ability
to use information from patients' DNA to more accurately prescribe
medicines that are more likely to be beneficial and less likely
to cause serious side effects will occur sooner than many
think."
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