Innovating Genomics: The Opportunities for Healthcare through Genomic Medicine

“Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time.” 

--Bill Gates, American Entrepreneur and Founder of Microsoft Co.

Past the era of inventions, the human mind has surpassed what used to be unreachable- from wood fire to a portable stove, from herbs to vaccines, from the sea to the moon. It may seem that the homosapiens have exceeded that which the mind can offer, have manifested all ideas and exhausted that which the human mind can create. And from a narrow point of view, what is then left for the human race?

Innovation, “a new way of doing things,”provides more opportunities to enhance inventions. At this age of nanotechnology, ideas to innovate present the chance to augment, modify and re-invent that which has proven to be effective.

http://genblog.myheritage.com/category/dna/

Healthcare provides a vast venue for innovation. The completion of the human genome project in 2003 has opened a lot of channels to enhance healthcare: from medicines, to vaccines, to gene therapy to genetic engineering. All illnesses have a genetic component. Even infections and other environmental health implications have a required genetic imprint of an individual to be able cause disease. With this premise, the expansion of genomics to human health provides the setting in improving healthcare.

In a speed unthinkable during the middle ages, the human genome project has launched several breakthroughs in the field of genomic medicine. From diagnostics to therapeutics, biotechnology has greatly become the fad, as companies race towards the end goal of perfecting healthcare. Gene therapy provides the opportunity to treat genetic diseases, which were deemed untreatable. Gene testing has become widely used, extending beyond determining parentage, to detecting faulty genes that contribute to disease. This allows many physicians to direct treatment, preventing adverse reactions or shotgun treatment or therapeutic diagnosing or drug trials. Genomics in pharmaceutical applications has paved way to pharmacogenomics. This leads to more powerful medicines, safer drugs tailored to prevent adverse reactions, better vaccines with less risks.

The reproducibility of genomic medicine also presents opportunities for sustainability and eventual modification and innovation. It eventually allows faster results, better outcomes and potentials for further improvements. Eventually, the prospective cost of healthcare may be reduced, allowing health to be attainable by people from all economic classes…ultimately providing health as the right of all.

Some would say, it is playing god. For me, it’s being innovative.

30 May 2009

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Reference:

Human Genome Project Information URL 

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml