Medicus, Vol. 13 No. 1_Depresija, 2004.
Review article
Pharmacogenetics of Depressions
Neven Henigsberg
Vera Folnegović-Šmalc
Abstract
Pharmacogenetics, and particularly pharmacogenomics,
are new scientific disciplines whose initial
results hold promise that the homogeneous groups with
respect to the expected therapeutic response will be recognized
among people suffering from depression, which would
enable its more efficient treatment.
It is clear that the therapeutic response is a result of complex
genetic effects, and not only of one gene. Therapeutic
response is affected not only by genetic polymorphisms, but
also by variations in gene expression and post-translational
modifications of proteins under the influence of numerous
factors, e.g. dose, food, interactions with other substances.
Although pharmacogenetic or even pharmacogenomic studies
alone are not expected to completely elucidate the variability
in the therapeutic response, the establishment of at
least some causes of this variability, which is under a direct
genetic influence, would significantly contribute to a more
reliable assessment of expected therapeutic response and
considerably increase a currently low share of patients
responding to antidepressant therapies. For the most part,
the variability in the therapeutic response can be explained
only by further transcriptomic and proteomic research that
is, currently, in the early phase of development.
Keywords
pharmacogenetics; antidepressants; pharmacogenomics; human genome
Hrčak ID:
19814
URI
Publication date:
26.1.2004.
Visits: 1.820 *