Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics

With the first draft of the human genome Essentially completed, there is co nsiderable optimism that genomic technologies will accelerate the identific ation of disease-validated targets and substantially the development of nov el strategies for therapeutic intervention. Although genetic factors are im portant determinants of inter- and intraindividual variability in both drug disposition and response in children, variability due to growth and develo pment is superimposed upon a basal level of pharmacogenetic variability. Th e purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of pharmacogenetics i n the context of the changes in growth and development characteristics of t he pediatric population, with a major emphasis on the ontogeny of enzymes i nvolved in the biotransformation of selected therapeutic entities used wide ly in the intensive care unit.