POST-PRESS: Gene-Anchored Drug Dosages

FILIPINO MOLECULAR biology student Jann Adriel Sy (24) of the University of the Philippines-Diliman noticed the inadequacy in the standard dose policy currently employed by doctors in ensuring a normal metabolic response in a person in the metabolism of medications due to differences in genetic structure, such as the mutation in the protein-coding section of enzymes critical to drug metabolism.

The study has positive implications in bringing down cases of adverse effects from drugs. A person with slow metabolism for paracetamol, for example, can suffer toxic side effects, or even death, from the unmetabolized portions of a 500-mg dose.

The study was performed at the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at UP Diliman. It won for Sy the 2013 BPI-DOST Best Project of the Year Award.

Source:

Donna Pazzibugan: "Research on personalized medicine dosages based on genetics proclaimed best thesis," Philippine Daily Inquirer 28 January 2013 [link]

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