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Colon cancer treatment and genetic testing for DPYD deficiency

Patients diagnosed with advanced colon cancer have few treatment options besides surgery and aggressive chemotherapy. All chemotherapies are designed to block cell growth. Since all multiplying cells need to replicate their DNA, blocking DNA synthesis stops cell growth. The 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) drug is a modified nucleotide that blocks DNA replication....

Using Precision Medicine to Find Effective Treatment for Depression

Updated October 25, 2021 Finding the right treatment for depression is not easy. Physicians have many mental health medications from which to choose. However, as we know, only a fraction of patients will respond to any given drug. Thus, physicians often resort to a ‘trial and error’ approach – trying the...

Your genetics determines the effectiveness of Tecta for you

Update: Tecta is linked to elevated risk of contracting COVID-19 – find more details here What is Tecta? How does Tecta work? Tecta (pantoprazole) is prescribed to treat gastrointestinal ulcers, or for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which includes heartburn and acid reflux, and reflux esophagitis. Tecta is part of a...

I have stars in my genome! How genetic variations affect your drug response

How drugs affect the body Many commonly used drugs can be helpful for most while causing adverse reactions in others. Medication needs to be absorbed and then metabolized into a biologically active form or inactivated at a certain rate. Drug absorption and secretion (i.e. pharmacokinetics) can be affected by certain...

Statin adverse side effects vs risk of stroke and heart attack: how to balance the risks?

Statins have long being used for reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in obese and Type 2 Diabetes patients. Clinical trials have demonstrated the positive role of statins in risk reduction that extended well beyond the associated...