Understanding the effect of protein structure variation on drug response

Understanding how genetic variants translate into variability in phenotype is important in the field of personalized medicine.
 

In this review, Lahti et al discuss combining knowledge of pharmacogenetics, the impact of genetic variation on protein structure, and the molecular mechanisms of how a drug works (pharmacodynamics), to provide a greater understanding of an individual's drug response. This may also aid in the development of drugs with increased efficacy and reduced toxicity.

They outline structural characteristics of drug targets, common mechanisms of protein-drug interaction and drug action, effects of genetic variation on protein structure and the impact of this structural variation on drug response. They also review the bioinformatic tools and databases available to study such effects.


Read the review:

Bioinformatics and variability in drug response: a protein structural perspective.

Lahti JL, Tang GW, Capriotti E, Liu T, Altman RB.
J R Soc Interface. 2012 May 2. [Epub ahead of print]