Pharmacogenomics: Your Personalized Medicine

Genomic medicine or personalized medicine utilizes the genetic information of an individual to prevent or treat disease

. In the past, physicians used the information they have observed in their study to make diagnosis or to prescribe medicines for treatment.

However, the modern concept of personalized medicine is more precise. The tools used to diagnose, prevent and cure diseases are more than just finding evidence from observation and study, they involve the understanding of genetic makeup of an individual. For example, besides spotting tumor on cells through microscope, physicians analyze and evaluate the patient's genetic mapping or distinction. The information acquired from genetic profiling of that patient is used to devise a plan for a treatment that works best especially for him.

Pharmacogenomics is an emerging field of science that examines the relationship between genes and certain drugs or composition of medicines. The study is focused on the reaction of specific genes to medicines. It is a combination of genomics and pharmacology with the aim of personalizing medicines to gain the best or optimal result. With Pharmacogenomics, physicians are able to predict a person's reactions to certain medicines. They could reduce risks of trial and error. The treatment prescribed shall be more accurate, more appropriate and more efficient in addressing the disease.

In 2003, the Human Genome Project was completed by United States Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. Among the many objectives of this project are to learn the order of the 3 billion units of DNA that compose the human genome, and to determine these genes. The scientists involved in the project successfully put in the correct sequence almost all of the chemical pairs making up the DNA units.

Scientists hope that the Human Genome Project could pinpoint specific genes that caused the common diseases. After the project, however, they realized that it is more complex as many diseases are a result of several genes interacting. Nevertheless, they believe that genome-based medicines or personalized medicine is the future of healthcare. With pharmacogenomics or genomic medicines, patients will have greater chances of being cured and have a speedy recovery.

Personalized medicines are prescribed after genetic mapping. Genetic mapping or profiling is the foundation for selecting drug therapy. This approach seeks to mitigate the side effects of drugs, while creating a strategy for a more successful result of medical treatment. It is useful as an indicator of predilection to contract particular diseases before the patient actually manifests the obvious symptoms, thereby, allowing the physicians to come up with a wiser and optimal plan for observation and prevention.

The capability of profiling how genes are placed together in sequence and expression level is changing the ways in which the medical professionals categorize diseases and discover treatments. In turn, it allows the physicians to deviate from the traditional 'one size fits all' approach which can have undesirable side effects and doubtful efficiency.

As of the present time, medical scientists involved in pharmacogenomics focus on developing sub-populations for complex diseases and health conditions such as Heart Disease, Diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and Cancer. With personalized medicines, the medical community may be able to make the best clinical decisions for each patient on a personal level.

by: Charles Godbout

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