Chemical foundations of personalized medicine

biology
biotechnology
chemistry

elective monographs

It is assumed that the student has a basic knowledge of organic chemistry.

Classroom

The lecture aims to discuss the chemical processes responsible for the differences in the efficacy of specific drugs in different patients. In addition, it will also describe practical methods for matching a medicament for the particular patient, not only to a particular disease.

The lecture aims to familiarize students with the very rapidly developing field of personalized medicine. It will address the following topics:

a) the chemical reactions, to which a drug molecule is subjected in the body of a patient, and the impact of these reactions on the reactivity and availability of the drug, as well as its removal from the body (detoxification),

b) enzymes that catalyze the above reactions - the functioning of these enzymes is often different in different people, which explains different responses from different patients to the same drug,

c) on the basis of information about the occurrence of different variants of drug metabolizing enzymes in different people, one can predict which drug will be effective in a particular person, and which drug will not be effective,

d) such information can also be used to predict in which patients adverse side effects can occur after administration a particular drug, and in which patients there is no such risk,

e) there are many distinct benefits from the use of personalized medicine:

- improving the efficacy of treatment,

- reducing the risks associated with various methods of treatment,

- shortening treatment time and reducing the cost of treatment,

- often saving the lives of patients in cases where the selection of optimal treatment strategy must occur in a very short period of time (e.g. in cancer),

- allowing the use of drugs that cause adverse side effects in some patients, but very effectively treat a disease in the other patients,

f) the major limitation of personalized medicine is that it does not create new treatment methods, but only improves the use of existing methods,

g) in addition, examples of other applications of personalized medicine will be presented – not only to select a drug for a specific patient,

h) ethical and legal issues regarding personalized medicine will be discussed,

i) students will be familiarized with the current state of personalized medicine in Poland.

(in Polish)

Francis S. Collins, Język życia: DNA a rewolucja w medycynie spersonalizowanej. Wydawnictwo Laurum, Warszawa, 2011.

Józef Prandota, Podstawy farmakogenetyki i farmakogenomiki w praktyce klinicznej. Jak leczyć skuteczniej i bardziej bezpiecznie. Wydawnictwo Medyczne Urban & Partner, Wrocław, 2003.

Upon completion of the course the student should:

a) be aware that often different people react differently to the same drug,

b) know the chemical processes responsible for the differences in the reactions of different patients to the same drug,

c) provide examples of practical applications of the information about chemical reactions, to which a drug molecule is subjected in the body of a patient, to predict which drugs will be most effective in a particular patient,

d) be able to explain the main benefits of using the methods of personalized medicine,

e) be able to discuss the limitations of personalized medicine and be aware of the risks that may be associated with this methodology.

At the end of the lecture series, students will be required to take a multiple choice test. During the test, the students will be allowed to use their notes and the Internet. The test will take 45 minutes.

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