SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 19 - A study by Sequenom and the Human BioMolecular Research Institute shows the role of genetic variation of a drug metabolism gene across different populations.
The study, appearing in the December issue of the journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition, analyzed relative frequencies of single and multiple site alleles, haplotypes, and genotypes of the human flavin-containing monooxygenase, form 3 - an enzyme related to drug metabolism - among different ethnic populations. The findings link a defect in the enzyme to abnormal metabolism of chemicals and drugs, according to the study authors.
Sample populations included Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and Asian males and females living in the
"This paper provides important new information on genetic polymorphisms in various ethnic groups in expression of a drug metabolizing enzyme in human liver," David Williams, a professor of environmental and molecular toxicology at
Sequenom and the non-profit Human BioMolecular Research Institute, both based in
The study was partly funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health and the University of California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program.