In a recent study published in Cell, researchers examined a set of human genes called G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are targets of drugs and therapeutics. The treatment of several common diseases involves GPCRs, which mediate the therapeutic effects of drugs. Genetic variation between individuals may cause individuals to respond differently to the same drug treatment. Researchers used existing genomic data from over 60,000 individuals to identify mutations that occur in GPCR drug targets and to determine which mutations alter the outcomes of drug treatment. A major finding of the study is that GPCRs targeted by approved drugs show genetic variation in the human population and that variation occurs in functional sites within GPCRs that may result in altered drug response across individuals. These findings highlight the benefit of personalized treatment options for improving healthcare.
Full details of the study can be found in the Cell publication: Hauser et al., Pharmacogenomics of GPCR drug targets. Cell, 2017 doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.11.033 and is available (here). A summary of this article provided by Medical Xpress is available (here).
