药物遗传学(Pharmacogenetics)研究机体对药物反应的遗传差异。药物遗传学应用于人类比较晚,1950年以前积累了一些关于有些人群由于遗传因素对药物非常敏感的资料,后来又发现某些人对药物有很高耐药性的遗传特征。1957年Motulsky指出,对于某些人药物的毒性是由于他们分解药物或其代谢物的特异蛋白质结构改变所致,1959年Vogel创用“药物遗传学”一词。1962年Kalow发表了药物遗传学的专著。1973年 Pharmacogenetics studies the body’s genetic differences in drug response. Pharmacogenetics was applied late in human life. Prior to 1950, a number of genetic data were obtained on some subjects that were very drug-sensitive due to genetic factors and later on were found to have genetic characteristics that were highly drug resistant to some people. In 1957 Motulsky pointed out that in 1959 Vogel used the term “pharmacogenetics” for the toxicity of some drugs due to structural changes in the specific proteins that they decompose their drugs or their metabolites. In 1962 Kalow published a monograph on pharmacogenomics. 1973