This research laboratory is located within the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics in the School of Medicine at the Tufts University Boston Campus. The primary purpose of the research conducted in this laboratory is to identify the molecular genetic causes of interindividual variability in drug metabolism capacity in people. These genetic differences are thought to explain why certain drugs produce serious adverse side effects in some people and yet may fail to have beneficial effects in other people. Eventually data gained from these studies will be used to personalize the prescribing of drugs by physicians based on the genetic makeup of an individual. (More on Pharmacogenetics)

The research focuses on two of the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes - UGT1A6 and UGT2B15 and one of the cytochrome P450 enzymes - CYP2B6. These enzymes are involved in the metabolism of drugs, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol - UGT1A6), oxazepam (Serax - UGT2B15), and propofol (Diprivan - CYP2B6). The goal of the studies is to identify the important DNA sequence variations that result in increased or decreased activity of these enzymes in people.

These drug metabolizing enzymes are also involved in metabolizing many toxins, potential carcinogens, as well as endogenous hormones. Consequently, interindividual variability in the functioning of these enzymes may explain why some people are more prone to and some people are less likely to develop certain diseases. Studies are being conducted to evaluate the role of these drug metabolizing enzymes in prostate cancer, as well as neurological disorders including major depression and Parkinson's disease.

Substantial differences in drug metabolism capacity also exist between different breeds of dog and between different species of animal. These phenomena are important to investigate for comparative purposes (especially humans versus laboratory animals) as well as for improving the health and welfare of our companion animals. Several projects are investigating why Greyhound dogs metabolize certain anesthetic agents more slowly compared with other dog breeds, and whether slow metabolism of soy isoflavones found in commercial cat foods contributes to the development of thyroid cancer in cats.

Current laboratory personnel include Dr Michael Court (Laboratory Director and Principal Investigator), Dr Soundarajan Krishnaswamy (Postdoctoral Fellow), and Qin Hao (Technician). Occasionally we have positions available for postdoctoral fellows and laboratory technicians. Individuals interested in joining this laboratory should contact Dr Court. We also accept graduate students (PhD, MD, DVM, DDS) from Tufts and elsewhere for laboratory rotations and to conduct thesis project work. Dr Court is a faculty member in the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University. (More about the Tufts Pharmacology PhD program)

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