WASHINGTON — A genetic variant commonly found in some Africans may hinder the effectiveness of a popular breast cancer drug.
The gene, called CYP2D6, that produces the crucial enzyme differs significantly among individuals. On average, approximately one-fifth of Africans carry at least one copy of the variant that the researchers studied. However, the prevalence of this variant varies across the continent, ranging from 5 percent to over 34 percent.
Molecular geneticist Comfort Kanji, based at the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology in Harare, Zimbabwe, suggests that preemptive genetic screening to identify patients with this genetic variant would likely be too expensive for local clinics and hospitals. However, he believes that his team’s findings could inspire clinical trials that test higher initial doses of tamoxifen in heavily affected groups.
Kanji and his colleagues conducted a study involving 42 Zimbabweans taking tamoxifen, collecting daily blood samples. Some participants had one copy of the variant, while others had two. A third group had a different version of the gene that does not have a known effect on the enzyme. The differences in how they metabolized the medication became apparent immediately and persisted throughout the month-long experiment.
2023-11-17 08:28:57
Source from www.sciencenews.org
