A new study by researchers at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, has found that some people in Ghana and Nigeria have unique gene or DNA differences that may affect how their bodies react to certain medicines.

These findings could help improve how doctors treat patients with orofacial clefts, which are a group of conditions that include cleft lip and cleft palate.

Orofacial clefts are among the most common birth defects worldwide. In some cases, the condition may worsen because of bad reactions to medicines, especially drugs like corticosteroids (used for inflammation) and antiepileptics (used for seizures).

The research team wanted to understand why these adverse drug reactions happen in some people and not in others. They focused on pharmacogenomics (the study of how a person’s genes affect their response to medicines).

To do this, the scientists studied 390 people from 130 Ghanaian and Nigerian families who have a history of orofacial clefts.

Published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine (MDPI), the research collected DNA from saliva and cheek swabs and used whole-genome sequencing to study every gene in detail.

The research led by Dr. Lord Jephthah Joojo Gowans, discovered changes, known as variants, in several important genes that help the body process medicines.

These gene changes can alter how the body breaks down or moves drugs, which could make some medicines work less effectively or cause stronger side effects.

Using computer models, the team also showed that these changes can affect the shape and function of proteins that interact with medicines.

This means some drugs, such as caffeine, efavirenz (for HIV), carbamazepine (for seizures), ketoconazole (for fungal infections), and artemether (for malaria), may behave differently in people who have these variants.

The researchers highlight the need for genetic testing before giving certain medicines, especially in Africa, where such studies are limited.

This approach, called personalized or precision medicine, could help doctors choose the right drugs and doses for each person, improving care and reducing harmful side effects.

Other authors include Mr. Elvis Poku-Adusei, Mr. Gideon Okyere Mensah, Mr. Christian Opoku Asamoah, Mr. Bruce Tsri, Ms. Hafsa Akeeya, Mr. Abass Shaibu Danbaki, Dr. Solomon Obiri-Yeboah, Ms. Tamara D. Busch, Prof. Lawrence Sheringham Borquaye, Prof. Peter Donkor, and Prof. Azeez Butali.