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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter July 2, 2014

The pharmacogenetics of carboxylesterases: CES1 and CES2 genetic variants and their clinical effect

  • Zahra Merali , Stephanie Ross and Guillaume Paré EMAIL logo

Abstract

Human carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) and carboxylesterase 2 (CES2) are serine esterases responsible for the hydrolysis of ester and amide bonds present in a number of pharmaceutical products. Several common genetic variants of the CES1 and CES2 genes have been shown to influence drug metabolism and clinical outcomes. Polymorphisms of the CES1 gene have been reported to affect the metabolism of dabigatran etexilate, methylphenidate, oseltamivir, imidapril, and clopidogrel, whereas variants of the CES2 gene have been found to affect aspirin and irinotecan. Although the findings of these studies may be preliminary, they demonstrate the potential clinical utility of CES polymorphisms; however, more research is required, especially with respect to CES2. In this review, we outline the functional, molecular, and genetic properties of CES1 and CES2, and highlight recent studies that have shown relations between CES1 and CES2 variants and contemporary pharmacotherapy.


Corresponding author: Guillaume Paré, Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton General Hospital Campus, DB-CVSRI, 237 Barton Street East, Room C3103, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8L 2X2, Phone: +1 905 527 4322 ext. 40377, Fax: +1 905 296 5806, E-mail:

Conflict of interest statement

Authors’ conflict of interest disclosure: The authors stated that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Research funding: None declared.

Employment or leadership: None declared.

Honorarium: None declared.

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Received: 2014-2-18
Accepted: 2014-5-16
Published Online: 2014-7-2
Published in Print: 2014-9-1

© 2014 by De Gruyter

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