The Department of Pharmacology, Jipmer is set to launch routine gene testing as a means of personalising medical treatment for its patients.
According to doctors, pharmacogenomics testing of genes such as CYP2C9, CYP2C19, TPMT and VKORC1 gene will promote personalised treatment of patients with epilepsy, peptic ulcer, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, stroke, heart disease, deep vein thrombosis and patients undergoing valve replacement therapy.
This would also make Jipmer the first government hospital to provide such a service in India.
‘Pharmacogenomics’ is regarded as a contemporary branch of science that promises a new era of personalised medicine by linking the genetic make-up of an individual with treatment response.
Gene testing helps clinicians more precisely fathom the genetic make up of an individual associated with drug metabolism and the drug that is likely to evoke the best outcome. Pharmocogenomics has been steering modern medicine away from a one-drug-fits all similar conditions and towards a case-by-case and personalised approach. The concept of Pharmacogenomics stems from the idea that one drug does not fit all. Instead of being exposed to the ‘trial and error’ prescribing of today, all it takes is one DNA test to analyse one’s genes that code for drug-related proteins.
Simultaneously, towards keeping specialists abreast of the concepts and techniques used in pharmacogenomic research, and inspiring them to start pharmacogenomics research at their respective institutes, JIPMER is hosting a workshop on Monday.
The workshop is unique in that it provides training in the basics of pharmacogenomics.
In all, 37 participants across the country will be attending the 12{+t}{+h}National Workshop on Basic Techniques in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics.
Gene testing helps clinicians more precisely fathom the genetic make up of an individual
