Genetics of Population Differences in Drug Response

Population differences in drug response, including susceptibility to adverse drug reactions, are affected by genetic polymorphisms. Genetic variation frequencies differ among different ethnicities, which may be associated with variation of susceptibility to adverse drug reactions among the different populations. Pharmacogenomics of the population difference in drug response involves the identification of gene variants responsible for these differences in drug response with the aim of using them as predictive markers. However, it is not entirely feasible to characterize all 38 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human genome. Hence, there is a demand to prioritize SNPs for pharmacogenomic analysis, and one emerging trend is through the integration of variables such as information pertinent to the drug and disease pathway, potential functionality of SNPs along the pathway, and the genetics of population differentiation. This review covers background information that is relevant to the genetic basis of population differences in drug response, including the challenges and opportunities ahead.