4.23.2.1. Examples of SNPs Linked to Drug Response [Source:  Human Molecular Genetics, 14(2): R207-R214 (2005)]

4.23.3. Aspects of Personalized Medicine --- Differ from Traditional Medicine

Continuous work in genomics, proteomics and metabolomics will undoubtedly bring major discoveries about the inner workings of the human body, the genetic variations, the disease related genes and disease susceptibility. It also definitely will provide more molecular targets, and promising diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for a genetic disease. Research is going on to understand how people differ in their susceptibility to certain diseases. Researchers are developing genetic tests that can predict a person’s risk of developing some common diseases such as heart disease or asthma for example. Now a day, doctors hope that studying and correlating genetic variations/SNP profiles in populations, will give relation between genetic variations/SNPs and specific responses to disease/or treatment. Thus, in near future, after a doctor has diagnosed breast cancer in a new patient, he or she may also request a SNP profile and use the information to help advice his patient about her treatment options. A doctor, in the future, might prescribe a drug developed to prevent the onset of a disease and recommend lifestyle changes the at-risk individual should make. Thus in a nut shell, the following table can explain the future’s treatment planning.

4.23.4. How Can Diagnostics “Personalize” Medicine?