Medications for infectious diseases may immediately clear up an infection for some patients and offer no improvement for others based on their genetic makeup. Enhancing the personalized treatment of patients with viral, fungal and other communicable diseases is an emerging area in individualized care. Via pharmacogenomics, we now have the capability of testing patients for their genetic compatibility with common drugs used for infectious diseases such as HIV (abacavir/Ziagen®) and certain fungal infections (voriconazole/Vfend®).
Your genetic profile is unique and so is that of viruses and bacteria. NorthShore’s diagnostic laboratory has led the way in quickly identifying the genomics of nasty “bugs” behind infectious diseases such as influenza and MRSA. Not every antibiotic, for example, fights all infections. By pinpointng these disease-causing microbes by their DNA footprints, our team has a clearer picture of which treatment approaches and specific medications will work best for your specific infectious disease.