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Meet Dr. Houda Hachad
Dr. Houda Hachad is an entrepreneurial scientist with deep experience in pharmacology and pharmacogenetics. At the University of Washington, she co-developed a drug interaction database and a pharmacogenetics database. Both leverage revenue-based funding and are widely used by pharmaceutical companies, regulatory agencies, and academic institutions worldwide. She is Vice President of Clinical Operations at AccessDx.
The Challenge
CYP2D6 is responsible for the metabolism and elimination of approximately 25% of clinically used medications. Not surprisingly, accurate characterization of CYP2D6 copy number is critical to many PGx applications.
However, clinical laboratories may face blind spots in their PGx detection methods. Many technologies require the use of a separate workflow for copy number detection, drastically reducing lab efficiency. Additionally, they cannot detect CYP2D6 hybrid alleles, which can lead to sample mischaracterization.
Depending on ethnicity, up to 37% of individuals possess a non-functional CYP2D6 hybrid allele, in which a portion of the CYP2D6 gene has been replaced with DNA from CYP2D7, rendering it non-functional. Common CYP2D6 copy number detection methods, such as TaqMan PCR, cannot detect these alleles, resulting in pharmacogenetic profile mischaracterization.
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The Solution
Dr. Hachad offers insights and recommendations for overcoming these challenges to achieve a comprehensive CYP2D6 profile and more accurate PGx results.
QWhy is CYP2D6 copy number detection so important to PGx testing?
ACYP2D6 influences the metabolism of around 25% of all commonly used medications, so accurately characterizing it is critical. While characterization of the alleles based on SNPs and INDELs is important, it is incomplete without an understanding of the gene copy number. Without proper characterization of copy number, you cannot properly determine the various phenotypes.
QWhat are CYP2D6 hybrid alleles and how do they affect copy number detection?
ACYP2D6 hybrid alleles are structural variations that change the functionality of the enzyme. These alleles are fairly common. It is essential to distinguish between hybrids and other CYP2D6 alleles to accurately characterize a sample’s metabolizer status. Unfortunately, depending on the technology being used, that can be difficult to do.
QWhy are CYP2D6 hybrid alleles difficult to detect?
A多数药物基因组学拷贝数检测方法无法检测混合等位基因。 They only look at one, two, or maybe three regions on the gene.这还不够。您需要一种在整个基因中广泛使用的技术，以捕获这些结构性变化。 The VeriDose® CYP2D6 CNV Panel from Agena is a great example of a technology that is well-suited for hybrid allele detection. The single-well panel interrogates 22 points along the gene to identify hybrid alleles and provide accurate copy number calling.
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Download the VeriDose CYP2D6 Panel Brochure: The VeriDose CYP2D6 Panel accurately detects CNVs even in the presence of difficult-to detect hybrid alleles.使用单个反应孔，它可以质询CYP2D6基因7个区域中的22个点。此试剂盒可与基因分型试剂盒同时使用，无缝集成基因分型和CNV工作流程。
Watch the PGx Webinar with Dr. Houda Hachad
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