Feng, Xiaodong_ Xie, Hong-Guang - Applying pharmacogenomics in therapeutics-CRC Press (2016)

Preface
Recent advances in high-throughput gene sequencing and other omics biotechnologies
have created pharmacogenomics that facilitates the development of personalized
medicine and the Precision Medicine Initiative unveiled by the Obama
administration in January 2015, the major purpose of which is to improve health and
treat diseases. In clinical settings, individuals vary in their response to drugs due to
patient heterogeneity. Although DNA or pharmacogenomics is not the whole story
about personalized medicine, it is generally accepted as the major determinant of
variable drug safety and efficacy as well as cost-effectiveness for some (if not all)
drugs. Therefore, widespread use of pharmacogenomics for patient care has become
a critical requirement. There is an unprecedented urgency for future clinicians to
become trained on how to interpret data from pharmacogenomic testing and to prepare
for the upcoming future of healthcare—personalized medicine.
Applying Pharmacogenomics in Therapeutics is intended to educate and train
healthcare professionals and students in applying the principles of pharmacogenomics
in patient care. It can also serve as an up-to-date reference book covering the broad
spectrum of the fundamentals, principles, practice, and the best current thinking, as
well as the future potential of pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine. The
book has 11 chapters contributed by well-established pharmacologists and scientists
from various universities and the genomics industry in the United States and China.
The first five chapters describe the principles and practice of pharmacogenomics and
its biotechnologies as well as genetic biomarkers in the drug discovery and development,
laboratory medicine, and clinical services. Chapters 6 through 9 focus on the
use of pharmacogenomics in the treatment of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, neurologic
and psychiatric disorders, and pulmonary diseases, and Chapters 10 and 11
address the merging of pharmacogenomics and alternative medicine and the integration
of pharmacogenomics into pharmacoeconomics. Each chapter begins with the
key concepts, followed by in-depth discussions on case reports or critical evaluation
of genetic variants/biomarkers, and concludes with questions for the reader’s
self-examination.
The editors express their sincere appreciation to each of the chapter authors who
have contributed their time and expertise to make this book a comprehensive and
valuable resource.
Xiaodong Feng, PhD, PharmD
California Northstate University
Hong-Guang Xie, MD, PhD
Nanjing Medical University
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