Matching Drugs to DNA

We have the technology to start a new era in medicine by precisely matching drugs to people's genetic code, a major report says.

Some drugs are completely ineffective or become deadly because of subtle differences in how our bodies function.

The British Pharmacological Society and the Royal College of Physicians say a genetic test can predict how well drugs work in your body.

The tests could be available on the NHS next year.

Your genetic code or DNA is an instruction manual for how your body operates. The field of matching drugs to your DNA is known as pharmacogenomics.

It would have helped Jane Burns, from Liverpool, who lost two-thirds of her skin when she reacted badly to a new epilepsy drug.

She was put on carbamazepine when she was 19. Two weeks later, she developed a rash and her parents took her to A&E when she had a raging fever and began hallucinating.

The skin damage started the next morning. Jane told the BBC: "I remember waking up and I was just covered in blisters, it was like something out of a horror film, it was like I'd been on fire."

Her epilepsy medicine caused Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which affects the skin and is far more likely to happen in people who are born with specific mutations in their genetic code.

Mrs. Burns says she was "extremely, extremely lucky" and said she supports pharmacogenomic tests.

"If it saves your life, then it's a fantastic thing."      READ MORE...

Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients

6 - 8 servings

1 +1/2 Cups of Split yellow peas
1 lb Bacon miss shapes or 1 lb Gammon bits
4 Carrots chopped up into bite size pieces
2 Dried veg stock cubes
1/4 tsp Black pepper


Steps

1.  Soak the split peas for a couple of hours or overnight the night before cooking. Then rinse thoroughly.


2.  Add the split peas to a large pan also add 4 pints of Water bring to the boil and cook on low heat, also add the chopped bacon or Gammon, 2 veg cubes and carrots stir to mix.



3.  Add pepper, be careful with salt as the bacon misshapen maybe salty soak bacon in cold water before cooking to remove excess salt.



4.  Cook for 1 hour in pressure cooker. 2 - 3 hours on the hob simmering and stirring occasionally it will thicken as it cooks. Turn off leave it to thicken for a while then heat up when needed.



5.  When cooked the split peas turn mushy so it thickens. it is best after it cools to add to the fridge for the next day as it lays there the flavours come out better its also thicker. You can have it as soon as it cooks too, just nicer the next day.



6.  Serve hot with crusty Bread to dip in

NOTE:  

Recipe from Maureen Maureen in Liverpool, England - on September 2, 2021

I love this Cookpad Site, Recipes, friends, interesting people and outstanding recipes, and able to see and to taste food from all over the world. i have learned so much more here, spices , herbs and lovely recipes of different cultures. also experimenting mixing different herbs and spices and making my own creations