The seeds for the biggest scientific event or breakthrough that will impact human health in the next 10 years have been sown a decade ago. The Human Genome Project that successfully mapped approximately 20,000 genes will usher in a new era of scientific discovery. The HGP has equipped the scientific community with invaluable genomic data needed to unlock the genetic basis behind many a disease including Cancer, Diabetes and Alzheimer's. Armed with a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms that cause these diseases, researchers will go a long way in delivering what is known as personalized medicine. The present "One drug fits all" theory will soon be redundant and medicine will become individualized and hence more effective.
Since the successful completion of the HGP, massively Parallel sequencing has been at the forefront of technology with throughputs going through the roof. The last ten years has seen a 1,000 fold increase. The inception of the Archon X prize which aims to bring down the cost of sequencing of an entire person’s genome to less than $1000 has funneled some brilliant chemists, molecular and computational biologists, physicists and engineers into this cutting edge area. The race has already started reaping benefits with Life technologies (formerly Applied Biosystems) claiming that they have sequenced an entire genome in less than $60,000 using their latest SOLiD® platform of sequencing. Illumina, 454/Roche, Helicos, Pacific Biosystems and Oxford Nanopore are some of the companies trying to develop the next generation of sequencing tools. This reminds me of a famous story during the gold rush days in California. The people who made a fortune were the ones selling shovels and picks! The analogy to the life sciences industry is striking in more than one way! First, both of them happen in California..duh! But on a deeper level these companies are providing the tools to mine for genetic data, which happens to be gold!
I have personally worked in a company, which for all practical reasons would not have existed if not for the sequencing revolution. The sheer number of samples that can be analyzed using these instruments is mind boggling! One of you may ask, what do you do with all the data? Well, that’s another story all together, a brilliant case study in operations and IT management. What I’m trying to say is that the possibilities are infinite! The days where a newborn is screened for his genetic predisposition to certain diseases, thereby creating a genetic blueprint for future health management are not far off. Developing innovative management and technology solutions that are capable of handling such humongous data can never be undermined. The storage, transfer and retrieval of this genetic data will be of paramount importance. With the world more or less becoming a global village owing to faster communication channels and greater delivery systems, this kind of health care can be delivered to the remotest places across the world thereby seamlessly creating a global network of hospitals, research institutes, universities and government agencies.
Although there is a great push towards personalized medicine, it brings with it its own set of problems ad roadblocks. How will personalized medicine alter the drug discovery process? What implications does it have for the pharma/biotech industry? Pharma companies might be able to fundamentally alter the way they design their clinical trials. But this means additional investment in terms of time, money and resources, which will be a tricky trade off. Perhaps the biggest question to be asked here is, Are we ready for personalized medicine yet? Will it be affordable? The anticipation is that it will fundamentally alter the way we practice medicine. Resources will shift in a way we can manage risk in order to delay or prevent disease rather than trying to cure the disease. It also raises a more deeper and greater ethical question. Can we beat natural selection? Can we play God? Can we design our own babies? As we motor along this path, we might want to think about some of these issues. As of now, I’m intoxicated by the possibilities!
Although there is a great push towards personalized medicine, it brings with it its own set of problems ad roadblocks. How will personalized medicine alter the drug discovery process? What implications does it have for the pharma/biotech industry? Pharma companies might be able to fundamentally alter the way they design their clinical trials. But this means additional investment in terms of time, money and resources, which will be a tricky trade off. Perhaps the biggest question to be asked here is, Are we ready for personalized medicine yet? Will it be affordable? The anticipation is that it will fundamentally alter the way we practice medicine. Resources will shift in a way we can manage risk in order to delay or prevent disease rather than trying to cure the disease. It also raises a more deeper and greater ethical question. Can we beat natural selection? Can we play God? Can we design our own babies? As we motor along this path, we might want to think about some of these issues. As of now, I’m intoxicated by the possibilities!
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