Precision medicine, a relatively newer approach to healthcare, can tailor treatment and prevention strategies to an individual’s unique genetic profile, environment, and lifestyle. Instead of a universal approach, precision medicine acknowledges our individual biological differences, understanding that effective treatment for one person may not be optimal for another, it recognizes our biological diversity and the fact that treatment may vary from person to person.
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With the development of precision medicine protocols, genetic profiling is becoming standard-of-care in many areas of medicine. The combination of genetics and pharmacology has led to the development of pharmacogenomics—a field that explores how an individual’s genetic makeup influences their response to medications.
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Pharmacogenomics or PGx, is the study of how an individual’s genetic makeup influences their response to medications. Due to its relatively low cost and high clinical potential PGx has been at the forefront of personalized medicine for several years. As global healthcare incorporates new technologies, countries worldwide are now adopting PGx testing to optimize drug therapies, reduce adverse drug reactions, and improve patient outcomes. This blog explores how various nations have integrated PGx into their healthcare systems, highlighting achievements, challenges, and unique approaches.
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PGx represents a transformative approach in cancer treatment that utilizes the genetic makeup of both the patient and their cancer to personalize and optimize their cancer therapy, while minimizing adverse effects. It is a crucial component of precision medicine, offering a more targeted process compared to traditional cancer treatments. In this blog, we’ll explore the history, principles, and applications of PGx in oncology, as well as its challenges and future prospects.
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Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is the study of how genes affect a person’s response to drugs, and it represents a relatively easy and low-cost entry point into personalized medicine. The goal of PGx is to tailor medical treatments to individuals based on their genetic makeup, improving drug efficacy and minimizing the risks of adverse effects. Despite its growing role in healthcare, some skepticism lingers. In this blog, we’ll explore why some people remain unconvinced of its value to patients, and ultimately how barriers to the adoption of PGx will be overcome within the healthcare sector.
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PGx represents a transformative approach in cancer treatment that utilizes the genetic makeup of both the patient and their cancer to personalize and optimize their cancer therapy, while minimizing adverse effects. It is a crucial component of precision medicine, offering a more targeted process compared to traditional cancer treatments. In this blog, we’ll explore the history, principles, and applications of PGx in oncology, as well as its challenges and future prospects.
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Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing assesses how an individual’s genetic makeup affects their response to medications, and as such, is proving to be an important step towards personalized medicine [1]. By tailoring drug therapy to the patient’s genetic profile, PGx testing can enhance treatment efficacy, reduce adverse drug reactions, and improve overall patient outcomes. Despite its potential, the widespread adoption and insurance coverage of PGx testing currently remains limited. Many in the healthcare sector have expressed concerns about the lack of robust, high-quality evidence to demonstrate the clinical utility of PGx testing, and while numerous studies highlight the potential benefits, insurers and healthcare providers continue to request clear evidence for its cost-effectiveness as well as benefits to patients [2].
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In recent years, the field of PGx has rapidly gained attention in the healthcare industry for its ability to enhance patient care by customizing medication protocols based individual genetic profiles. The potential of PGx testing is substantial, enabling healthcare providers to transform their approach to drug prescriptions, reduce side-effects and adverse drug reactions (ADRs), improve therapeutic efficacy, and to ultimately improve and save lives of patients. In this blog, we outline what PGx testing is, how it works, its benefits, challenges, and how it is actively contributing to patient safety today within our healthcare systems.
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The advancements in describing mitochondrial dysfunction have come about through novel approaches in metabolic analysis that are showing these organelles in a whole new light. This research has identified two types of mitochondrial dysfunctions- inherited mitochondrial dysfunction where deficiencies in mtDNA maintenance and function result in primary mitochondrial diseases (examples include Leigh syndrome, mitochondrial myopathy and chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia) and then the more common pathologies such as cancer, heart failure and neurodegenerative diseases that are associated with secondary mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Mitochondria are most often referred to as the “powerhouses of the cell,” and play a crucial role in generating the energy required for various cellular functions. However, their influence extends far beyond mere energy production, and research is linking mitochondrial health with our biological aging as well as our susceptibility to many common diseases. In this blog we review the multifaceted roles of mitochondria in cellular health and aging, exploring their functions and the mechanisms by which they contribute to the aging process, and their emerging roles in disease onset and progression.
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When it comes to treating chronic conditions, the effectiveness of prescribed medications is central to symptom management. However, the reality is that not all medications work equally well for everyone. Ineffective medications can not only fail to treat the condition but can also exacerbate it, leading to a host of additional health complications.
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For many of us there is a sense of panic and perhaps even fear at the potential challenges of removing it, coupled with the unknown diseases that it might be carrying. So, what should you do if you find yourself in this situation? Within this blog, we’ll walk you through the steps to take if you’ve been bitten by a tick, as well as provide some simple but effective tips on how to avoid tick bites altogether.
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As the global population ages, the number of geriatric patients—those aged 65 and older—is rapidly increasing in almost every country. This change in population demographic will result in significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, particularly regarding the management of chronic diseases and the safe use of medications. One tool helping address that is now gaining momentum is ‘pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing’. This field, which combines pharmacology and genomics to deliver personalized medicine by tailoring drug therapies based on an individual’s genetic makeup. For geriatric patients, PGx testing is proving to be particularly transformative, and is demonstrated to improve patient quality of life through more effective and safer medication regimens.
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Although giving birth is often described as one of the most beautiful experiences a woman can have, for many mothers, the period following childbirth can be marked by overwhelming emotions, fatigue, and, in some cases, postpartum depression (PPD). Postpartum depression is a serious condition that affects around one in seven women in the US after giving birth, and is characterized by feelings of sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion. While the exact causes of PPD are multifaceted and not fully understood, emerging research suggests that genetics plays a significant role in predisposing some women to this condition. But genetics may also hold the key to optimizing the use of medications to address this debilitating condition, and as new treatment options are approved by the FDA, there finally seems to be progress in this somewhat neglected field of medicine.
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One of the most promising areas of precision medicine is the field of pharmacogenomics (PGx), a discipline that explores the relationship between an individual’s genetic makeup and their response to medications. While PGx has traditionally been associated with adult populations, its application in pediatric patients is becoming increasingly recognized as a valuable tool for guiding treatment decisions.
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