Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: gesmarty on 18/03/2011 14:52:52
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How do drugs work ? How our genes play a role in the drugs treatment ?
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Genes specify the proteins and structures that make up the cells in our bodies. These proteins provide many roles including communication between cells, and nutrient balance, as well as the specific roles of the organs that the individual cells are located in.
Bacterial cells are different enough from Human cells that often these different structures can be targeted without affecting the human cells.
In the past, the drugs such as Penicillin were discovered through trial and error, and careful observation. Then, these drugs were modified to improve their efficacy, or reduce their side effects.
Modern drugs are often designed to target very specific cellular receptors. Some are even designed to target the genes themselves.
As far as drugs of abuse.
Most of the receptors are similar from human to human.
However, there may be subtle differences in the reactions to the drugs. Perhaps some people have a predisposition to addictions.
Some react to being "high" with pleasure, some react to it with displeasure. Or, perhaps some don't even get the same "high" feeling, at least with ordinary clinical doses of medications.