Genetic Technology
Genetic Technology and Personalized Medicine
Nicole Williams
Dr. Kennedy
SCI 115
November 4, 2011
A patient is being treated for breast cancer. The medicine usually involved to treat this disease is Chemo Therapy and radiation. It works for some, some it does not. So what other alternative is there for patients with this illness? Currently in the works is the idea to study an individual patient’s genotype to get a better understanding of what medication, therapy, treatment, will actually be beneficial to this patient with this disease like so many others. This idea is called Personalized Medicine. The concept of personalized medicine is to focus on the patient as an individual. Not only to study their disease but at a molecular level. This will help Doctors/Scientists to know what medication will work for this patient. A patient can go through several types of medicines before getting to one that actually helps there illness, at the same time going through different side effects and possibly death by the different varieties going through their body. Personalized medicine is meant to put a halt to these circumstances and get the patient on the right medication at that time. According to World Book Publishing, in 2002, two teams of geneticists announced that they had each completed a “rough draft” of the human genome, the complete set of genetic information in a human cell. Francis Collins leader of the international, publicly funded Human Genome Project, and J. Craig Venter, president of Celera Genomics Corporation, a private company in Rockville, Maryland came together to dig deep into the history of the human gene and how it really works and how it can work towards cures for deadly diseases. These findings and studies is what are leading to personalized medicine. There are some benefits to one day being able to capitalize on personalized medicine. It would lessen the amount of medication a person has to take and cut back on side effects. Improve
Nicole Williams
Dr. Kennedy
SCI 115
November 4, 2011
A patient is being treated for breast cancer. The medicine usually involved to treat this disease is Chemo Therapy and radiation. It works for some, some it does not. So what other alternative is there for patients with this illness? Currently in the works is the idea to study an individual patient’s genotype to get a better understanding of what medication, therapy, treatment, will actually be beneficial to this patient with this disease like so many others. This idea is called Personalized Medicine. The concept of personalized medicine is to focus on the patient as an individual. Not only to study their disease but at a molecular level. This will help Doctors/Scientists to know what medication will work for this patient. A patient can go through several types of medicines before getting to one that actually helps there illness, at the same time going through different side effects and possibly death by the different varieties going through their body. Personalized medicine is meant to put a halt to these circumstances and get the patient on the right medication at that time. According to World Book Publishing, in 2002, two teams of geneticists announced that they had each completed a “rough draft” of the human genome, the complete set of genetic information in a human cell. Francis Collins leader of the international, publicly funded Human Genome Project, and J. Craig Venter, president of Celera Genomics Corporation, a private company in Rockville, Maryland came together to dig deep into the history of the human gene and how it really works and how it can work towards cures for deadly diseases. These findings and studies is what are leading to personalized medicine. There are some benefits to one day being able to capitalize on personalized medicine. It would lessen the amount of medication a person has to take and cut back on side effects. Improve
References: (2009). Genetics 2002: What 's Next for the Human Genome?. Genetics 2002: What 's Next for the Human Genome?. World Book Publishing. Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com Biotech Articles. Pharmacogenomics-The New Era of Personalized Medicine. (2011). Retrieved November 4, 2011 from http://www.biotecharticles.com/Healthcare-Article/Pharmacogenomics-The-New-Era-of-Personalized-Medicine-681.html (2008). The New York Times: Patients DNA may be signal to Tailor Medication. Retrieved November 4, 2011 from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/business/30gene.html?pagewanted=all