Mode of Action of Perchlorate in Humans

new emphasis and increased interest in gene–environment interactions and is becoming relevant in defining public health policies. For many years, people’s susceptibility to xenobiotics have been known to differ significantly. Now, several techniques are available to identify and characterize the genetic correlates of interindividual variability. The goal of environmental genomics is to help investigators understand how genetic variability influences individual responses to environmental factors on the basis of the assumption that high-risk genotypes accumulate more damage and therefore are at greater risk of developing exposurerelated diseases. Thus, genomics information may lead to development of predictive biomarkers that identify potentially sensitive populations and earlier prediction of adverse outcomes, ultimately resulting in better intervention strategies (Kelada et al. 2003).