Genetic explanation for why some drugs trigger a deadly brain disease

Certain medicines that modulates the immune system response can sometimes wake up a dormant virus or induce a fatal brain pathology. This new study argues that there is a genetic explanation for this. Specifically, researchers studied a disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and they discovered 4 gene variants that increase the risk of developing this pathology. 

This could be helpful in screening the patients and ensure that those predispose to PML do not receive the drugs that provokes PML. This could decrease the number of PML cases with ~ 10%.

Study offers a genetic explanation for why some drugs trigger a deadly brain disease 

By Jonathan Wosen Dec. 14, 2022 / STAT