Personalized medication, a term you must have heard in recent times so often and wondered what is it actually.
With the advancements in technology, the diagnosis and treatment of disease are also progressing. the scientists are focused on treating patients individually rather a group-wise manner. Sounds confusing, right? Hopefully, this article will erase your confusion. Do not skip this article if you are interested in biotechnology-related advancements.
What is personalized medicine?
It is a model in medical science where people are segregated into separate groups for medical decisions with the help of their genome or the wholesome set of genetic information. Any disease starts or impacts at the genetic level. So, when you get an idea about the genetic structure, it helps in predicting and treating a patient in a better way. Based on gender, age, and other important parameters, a detailed patient attribute is formed. As the genome structure is dissimilar at a personal level, DNA sequencing help in identifying the fault treating the disorder with better precision. Biological knowledge with data science come together in this approach.
Advantages of personalized medicine:
Accurate patient profiles help in selecting precise medicine effective for individuals. For example, if a patient is diagnosed with a tumor or cancer, the actual genetic setup will help the experts to identify the faulty genes or mechanisms and apply the medication. This method helps in treating diseases much faster with better precision. With the advent of technologies, sequencing is conducted systematically with the help of data analytics to sort out abnormalities and further targeted methods of treatment. The traditional approach is based on the principle of “one size fits all”, but this method relies on a customized treatment approach. Moreover, personalized medicine paved the way for various nee life-saving drug molecules.
Disadvantages of personalized medicine:
Technology always comes with a negative impact. This notion is true for personalized medicine also. The unethical use of genomic sequencing data is a major concern for this approach. It interferes with patients’ privacy sometimes. Proper dealing with insurance companies is a must for this method. Also, the incidental finding of rare disorders is not usually mentioned in the privacy policy. This is a major threat. The funding of life-threatening diseases without any available treatment is still unethical. Proper care should be taken on this issue. No technologies are not accurate, so incorrect finding is also an issue.
Future directions:
Despite some serious concerns, personalized medicine will be the future treatment method for many diseases. The government and biotechnology companies are well aware of this fact. They are trying to figure out potential solutions. The specific manner of disease identification and treatment is the only way to survive from deadly disease. With the technological improvements, the methods are becoming cost-effective, yet a long way to go in this field. The spread of awareness among people is important as this holds the key for worldwide success in this treatment method.
