THE IMPACT OF GENOMIC SEQUENCING ON PRECISION MEDICINE
DEFINITION: According to FDA “Precision medicine, sometimes known as "personalized medicine" is an innovative approach to tailoring disease prevention and treatment that takes into account differences in people's genes, environments, and lifestyles.
The goal of precision medicine is to target the right treatments to the right patients at the right time.”
What is genomic sequencing:
Every living thing, including bacteria, plants, and mammals, has a distinct genome made up of the nucleotide bases A, T, C, and G. An organism's distinct DNA fingerprint, or pattern, can be determined by knowing the bases in that organism. Determining the order of bases is called sequencing. It is a laboratory technique known as whole genome sequencing can be used to identify an organism's genome's base order all at once.
Personal genomics is ranked #1 within healthcare trends. Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple, said “I think the biggest innovations of the 21st century will be the intersection of biology and technology, a new era is beginning”.
"e-Health is a heterogeneous field that is revolutionizing medical care through technology. Which, at its core, is empowering:
Engagement of patients in their own health and healthy lifestyle
Progression towards precision medicine to offer tailored treatment to patients [the right treatment and dose for the right person at the right time].
Transformation of the doctor-patient bond.
Clinical genomics testing will become more commonplace as genomic medicine becomes more accepted as a standard practice and is integrated into ICT-based clinical decision-support platforms that are integrated into patients' electronic health records. In the future, the patient might only be identified by a digital card with certified medical information and clinical genetics.
Genetic testing has unclear ethical consequences on several levels. It poses an obstacle in terms of what should be reported.
When and how should I report it? Of course, there are still difficulties to be addressed, like data management security and personal privacy, in addition to the educational aspect of information delivery, which calls for the subject to be well-informed and knowledgeable about how to handle the outcomes.
Resolving these issues on an individual, societal, and regulatory level is still a ways off. For example, the FDA mandated rules and placed limitations on the sharing of 23andMe data and information. [The 23andMe Genetic Health Risk* reports tell you if you have genetic variants associated with an increased risk of developing certain health conditions - such as Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease* or Parkinson's Disease*.]
Even yet, from a cultural or religious perspective, it might be seen as a layer of complexity and dispute.
Ref: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/aph/2019/3807032/
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