Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs): History, Biotechnological Outlook and Practical Applications

The recent introduction of molecular biology methods to pharmacology, to assess how DNA sequence variations can influence the response of an individual to a drug, has opened new dimensions in the evidence based analysis of goals, risks and benefits of drug therapy. The development of diagnostic test systems to identify patients at increased risk of adverse drug reactions, the application of genomic technologies to drug development, and the clarification of the mechanisms of drug action on cells represent actual challenges for both clinicians and researchers. In this review, we emphasize on the investigative tools of molecular biology-based pharmacology with particular reference to the development of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and new developing trends of this technology.