Genomics and dementia--new drug targets ahead?
Pharmacogenomics--the application of genomic technologies such as gene sequencing and gene expression analysis to drugs--is beginning to make its impact on central nervous system drug development. The mapping of genes (including their polymorphisms) and their expression in normal and disease states to discover new drug targets will also change the scenery of dementia therapeutics' development completely because it uses a "bottom-up" strategy, identifying genes whose expression is changed in dementia or by drug therapy. Drugs identified this way should be mechanistically novel, more potent and specific, and probably quicker to develop. Pharmacogenomics can however also greatly contribute to the improvement of drugs targeting currently known receptors and enzymes.
Mucke
H A M
HA
H. M. Pharma Consultancy, Vienna, Austria. h.mucke@hmpharmacon.com
D000368:Aged; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D015195:Drug Design; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans