Pharmacogénétique et traitements antiépileptiques

This chapter presents the pharmacogenetics of antiepileptic drugs. Pharmacogenetics considers the influence of the individual genetic background on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of xenobiotics. Today, two polymorphisms of the cytochrome P 450 2C9 are known to slow phenytoin metabolism and thus to bear a considerable risk of drug neurotoxic side effects among carriers of this polymorphism. Apart from this example of immediate clinical importance, this chapter focuses on future directions of pharmacogenetic research such as the consequences of channelopathies on the choice of antiepileptic drugs, on aspects of drug resistance associated with multidrug transporters and “idiosyncratic” side effects.