Today we went back to the personalized medicine case that we started way back in October. The case dealt with two girls, Beth and Laura, who were both diagnosed with Leukemia. Both girls were given the same treatment, but Laura almost died from it. Through the case we learned that the drug interferes with DNA replication, but any excess is supposed to be converted to an inactive form and removed from the body. The enzymes involved in the metabolic pathways are coded for by genes (of course). A small percentage of the population has a mutation to the gene that codes for the enzyme, TPMT, that breaks down the drug into its inactive form. This means that excess drug remains in the body and interferes with DNA replication even in healthy cells. This is most likely what is going on with Laura.
I did not give a homework assignment since I was not at school on Friday to get anything ready. Enjoy it!
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