Asthma Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Asthma, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, causes, medications.

Genetics and the variability of treatment response in asthma.

Israel E

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass, USA.

Pharmacogenetics is the study of how genetic differences influence the variability in patients' responses to therapy. Using specific examples in asthma, I will define the concepts of variability in response to therapy in asthma. I will then use the relationship between specific genetic polymorphisms and the response to beta-adrenergic agonists and leukotriene modifiers to illustrate pharmacogenetic interactions and to acquaint the reader with the applicability of these findings to clinical practice.

Published 4 April 2005 in J Allergy Clin Immunol, 115(4): S532-8.
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