A personalized medicine approach for asian americans with the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2*2 variant. Annual review of pharmacology and toxicology Gross, E. R., Zambelli, V. O., Small, B. A., Ferreira, J. C., Chen, C., Mochly-Rosen, D. 2015; 55: 107-127

Abstract

Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States. A relatively large subset of this population carries a unique loss-of-function point mutation in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), ALDH2*2. Found in approximately 560 million people of East Asian descent, ALDH2*2 reduces enzymatic activity by approximately 60% to 80% in heterozygotes. Furthermore, this variant is associated with a higher risk for several diseases affecting many organ systems, including a particularly high incidence relative to the general population of esophageal cancer, myocardial infarction, and osteoporosis. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology associated with the ALDH2*2 variant, describe why this variant needs to be considered when selecting drug treatments, and suggest a personalized medicine approach for Asian American carriers of this variant. We also discuss future clinical and translational perspectives regarding ALDH2*2 research.

View details for DOI 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010814-124915

View details for PubMedID 25292432