Rao Prema S, Endicott Ryan, Mullins Randy, Rao U Subrahmanyeswara
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Appalachian College of Pharmacy, Oakwood, VA, 24631, USA.
Pharmacogenomics J. 2018 Jul;18(4):601-608. doi: 10.1038/s41397-018-0019-3. Epub 2018 Mar 8.
Comparison of human genome sequences from different individuals has unraveled that genes involved in the drug efficacy and metabolism are polymorphic, harboring mutations, splicing variations and other alterations. These data provide a reasonable explanation for the inter-individual variations observed in drug therapy. Thus, a detailed molecular analysis and an in-depth knowledge of these genes is a prerequisite to practice pharmacogenomics-based medicine. We have introduced a 6-week laboratory research rotation to train students in the expression analysis of different pharmacogenes combined with bioinformatics tools. Students were first introduced to the bioinformatics tools to identify appropriate DNA primers to amplify specific pharmacogenes from the laboratory cancer cell lines. The amplified DNA fragments were sequenced. Finally, students were trained in bioinformatics tools to establish the identity of these DNA sequences. The possible implications of this laboratory training in developing problem-solving skills needed in the implementation of pharmacogenomics knowledge in the clinic, are discussed.
对不同个体的人类基因组序列进行比较后发现，参与药物疗效和代谢的基因具有多态性，存在突变、剪接变异及其他改变。这些数据为药物治疗中观察到的个体间差异提供了合理的解释。因此，对这些基因进行详细的分子分析并深入了解它们，是实施基于药物基因组学的医学的先决条件。我们引入了为期6周的实验室研究轮转，结合生物信息学工具，培养学生对不同药物基因的表达分析能力。首先向学生介绍生物信息学工具，以识别合适的DNA引物，从实验室癌细胞系中扩增特定的药物基因。对扩增的DNA片段进行测序。最后，训练学生使用生物信息学工具来确定这些DNA序列的身份。本文讨论了这种实验室培训在培养临床应用药物基因组学知识所需的解决问题能力方面可能产生的影响。
