Perspective

Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

Independent Investigator, Seattle, WA 98109, USA

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Howard L McLeod

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9004-9232

Precision Medicine, Geriatric Oncology Consortium, Tampa, FL 33609, USA

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Jasmine A Luzum

*Author for correspondence: Tel.: +1 734 615 4851;

E-mail Address: jluzum@med.umich.edu

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3639-717X

Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

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Published Online:5 Oct 2021https://doi.org/10.2217/pgs-2021-0108

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Abstract

The primary research approach in pharmacogenetics has been candidate gene association studies (CGAS), but pharmacogenomic genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are becoming more common. We are now at a critical juncture when the results of those two research approaches, CGAS and GWAS, can be compared in pharmacogenetics. We analyzed publicly available databases of pharmacogenetic CGAS and GWAS (i.e., the Pharmacogenomics Knowledgebase [PharmGKB^®] and the NHGRI-EBI GWAS catalog) and the vast majority of variants (98%) and genes (94%) discovered in pharmacogenomic GWAS were novel (i.e., not previously studied CGAS). Therefore, pharmacogenetic researchers are not selecting the right candidate genes in the vast majority of CGAS, highlighting a need to shift pharmacogenetic research efforts from CGAS to GWAS.

Keywords:

Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest

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Vol. 22, No. 17

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History

Received 13 August 2021

Accepted 21 September 2021

Published online 5 October 2021

Published in print November 2021

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Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.futuremedicine.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/pgs-2021-0108

Financial & competing interests disclosure

JA Luzum is supported by a NHLBI K08 award (K08HL146990). HL McLeod is on the Board of Directors of Vyant Bio (Nasdaq: VYNT) and is a co-Founder of Clariifi and Interpares Biomedicine. HL McLeod is a medical advisor to EviCORE and Pharmazam, as well as an expert consultant to Illumina. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

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The need to shift pharmacogenetic research from candidate gene to genome-wide association studies

Abstract

References