Characterization of pharmacogenetic variants in a Brazilian admixed cohort of elderly individuals

Differences in our genes can increase or decrease susceptibility to certain diseases and influence response to drugs. Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genetic variation impacts efficacy and toxicity of drugs. To date there are more than 1200 pharmacogenes described in literature, but only a small fraction of them have been implemented into clinical practice to inform prescription decisions. In the case of Brazil and Latin American, population admixture between three major ancestral groups (Native American, European, and sub-Saharan African) plays a key role for pharmacogenomics implementation because extrapolation of data derived from studies with well-defined ethnic groups is clearly not applicable to most of the population. Thus, the aim of this project is to asses common and rare variants in clinically relevant pharmacogenes in an admixed cohort of Brazilian individuals and to identify the origin of these variants by mapping the local ancestry. These findings will provide a high resolution map for studies of pharmacogenomics in admixed population and contribute to the characterization of novel rare variants that could impact on functional variability in pharmacogenes.

Faculty Supervisor:

Esteban Parra

Student:

Partner:

Universidade de São Paulo

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: