Precision medicine is often touted as the future of medicine. But so far, it hasn't been helpful in the war against COVID-19. Here is how it could be used to tease apart the nuances of the disease.
Clinical trials are used to establish that medicines work. But these don't take into account the genetic differences between us that can mean very different outcomes for different patients.
Decoding all the DNA in a patient’s biological sample can reveal whether an infectious microbe is causing the disease.
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Charles Chiu, University of California, San Francisco
Superfast DNA analysis is now being used to crack medical mysteries when physicians can't figure out whether an infectious microbe is causing the disease.
Rapidly advancing technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D-printing, smart-phones, smart-homes, precision medicine and diagnostics, promise to disrupt health care as we know it.
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In an era of rapid technological advance, devastating climate change, increasing inequality and a steadily aging society, health-care leadership development is vital.
Research published in Science Translational Medicine in February 2019 used a virtual patient to test the drug, Fevipiprant.
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Asthma affects around 339 million people worldwide. A new drug promises to lower risks of asthma attack and may eventually allow patients to reduce their dependence on steroids.
Identification of genetic mutations has led to the development of effective drugs.
It's exciting to think we're on the brink of a genomic revolution in health care. But just because new technology becomes available, it doesn't mean it should automatically be publicly funded.
Scientists discovered some bacteria can cut the DNA of invading viruses as a defence mechanism. They realised they could use this to cut human DNA.
CRISPR harnesses the natural defence mechanisms of some bacteria to cut human DNA strands. Then the DNA strand either heals itself or we inject new DNA to mend the gap. This is gene editing.
In 2030, some diseases are defined more specifically than in the past with a focus on their molecular makeup. This is known as precision medicine.
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In 2030, there is a boom in precision medicine, where diseases – from cancer to dementia – are defined and targeted more specifically with a focus on their molecular makeup.
Though not this obvious from the outside, plants are keeping time.
Hua Lu
Hua Lu, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Linda Wiratan, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Precisely calibrated timekeepers are found in organisms from all domains of life. Biologists are studying how they influence plant/pathogen interactions – what they learn could lead to human medicines.
If we could test the genome of all Australians we could better target preventive health campaigns.
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People with the same condition can respond differently to the same treatment. This is why personalised treatment is so important in all fields of medicine, including psychology.
If you were destined for dementia in your 60s, but there was nothing you could do about it, would you want to know?
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Cancer researchers dream of offering personalized treatments to patients. Can they get there using the same math that drives Netflix recommendations?
Cancer precision targeting at the Systems Biology and Cancer Metabolism Laboratory. Credit: Systems Biology and Cancer Metabolism Laboratory.
Fabian V. Filipp
A field called epigenomics looks at chemical modifications that do not change our DNA sequence but can affect gene activity. What are the limitations, and can biomedicine use this to our advantage?