Pathway-based Approaches to Pharmacogenomics

Researchers are using pathway information for both pharmacogenomics study design and data analysis. Candidate gene approaches for the design of pharmacogenomic studies need reliable pathway information to choose the best candidate genes and SNPs, especially when using low to medium throughput genotyping technologies, to maximize the likelihood of success. With the mainstream use of high throughput gene expression microarrays and genome wide SNP assays, pathway-based approaches can also be valuable tool for data analysis. This review will discuss sources of pathway data and mechanisms for applying it to pharmacogenomics research.