This article was found in the Chicago Tribune just a couple months ago. It is written about one of the affects that the Human Genome Project of 2003 currently has on society. The main goal of the Human Genome Project was to improve health care in the United States and around the world through its research. Six years later, scientists and doctors are teaming up to create personal medicine for patients based on their genetic make up. This concept would have been impossible if the scientists did not discover the "genetic instruction book for life" just a few short years ago. This incredible scientific advancement is now being used to help save patients lives. Many times sick patients will be given medicine that they experience horrible side effects from. This is because all people are built differently and not one medicine works for everyone's needs. Doctors are calling this new phenomenon "personalized medicine" where "the goal is to deliver the right drug at the right time in the right dose to the right person." This way patients will be suffering less and healing at a faster rate. One example they spoke of in the article was about treatment they gave a woman who had breast cancer. Instead of giving her the standard therapy, they were able to personalize the therapy to better fit her genetic makeup. The Food and Drug Administration estimated about 319,741 serious illnesses and 49,958 deaths within the last year related to reactions to certain drugs. By using this type of personalized medicine the death rates in this area will significantly decrease. Personalized medicine is not entirely finalized, for there is much more research that needs to be done. However, America's advancement of technology has seen a great increase since 2003 when the first genome was decoded. It cost $300 million to do all the research and now the current cost is about $20,000. Technology is advancing which means we are as well. I believe that this article overall was somewhat bias because it showed only the positive affects the Human Genome Project is having on the health care field. It would be interesting to read about the ethics behind this kind of research and why some individuals are not in agreement with it. At the same time, I found this article intriguing to read. This idea of personalized medicine could really go in a long way in the future. Below is a video that shows why there is a great need for personalized medicine. Often times doctors will use the trial-and-error method to prescribe patients medicine. This is not how it should be especially with all the advancements the science field has made so far.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbb8OHQNeXo
Boyd, Robert S. "Genome clues point to personal medicine; Care tailored to genetic makeup advances steadily."Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Nov 25. 2009. pg. 32.
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While I have heard about personalized medicine before, I had no idea that it was already being utilized. The idea of knowing the right medication for a patient without the regular guesswork is powerful, but what is even more powerful is the future goal of using a person's genetic makeup for preventative care. Instead of just tailoring treatment for a patient to fit their genes, the initial ailment would be prevented by reading the proverbial road maps genes contain. A person's Genetic make up can provide information on both their risk of genetic disease and their susceptibility to other ailments. Such information is both powerful and frightening. This is the argument against personalized medicine. On one hand, the information gained by reading one's genes could be used to take preemptive action to prevent any possible future health issues the patient may experience. On the other hand, some genetic disorders cannot be fixed, and the patient would be forced to live while constantly aware of his relatively eminent death. Such information could also be used to make patients get preventative care that they might not even need. Trying to guess the future is always tricky business, but when one's health is on the line some would say that, even given the setbacks, the information gained would be invaluable. Again on the other hand, some people would argue that the potential of being forced to face one's own mortality and the possibility of unnecessary and expensive preventative care far outweighs the benefits. I suppose the question that everyone must face is, quite simply, do the pros outweigh the cons? I guess it is hard to tell until you have taken the plunge.
ReplyDeleteThis concept is really cool. I had no idea that doctors now were able to get so specific with medicine now. How are people reacting to this new way of prescribing medicine? Where can I get my personal medicine if I'm sick? Did the article say that this is reserved for only certain types of illnesses like only cancer patients or are they working on personal medicine for children with the flu or people suffering from AIDS?
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