Electrophoresis and the Link Between Our Genes and Our Health
09 Jan 2018
In the short 15 years since the complete sequencing of the human genome in 2003, great strides have been made in establishing correlation and causation in the relationship between our genes and our health. It took over a Billion dollars and 13 years to sequence the human genome for the first time. In the early days, it still cost tens of millions and took months to have an individual’s genes sequenced. Here we are in 2018, and we are exchanging gifts of DNA mapping kits to discover medical information and ethnic heritage.
The Rise of Personalized Medicine
Personalized medicine sounds like something that most of us thought we were getting all along. Our doctors provide us treatment and medication based on our unique needs, right? Well, sort of. While the treatments that we received in the past may have been titrated to individual needs, the same medications are prescribed widely to other people. Personalized medicine, on the other hand, uses information about a person’s genes, proteins and environment to prevent, diagnose and treat disease.
From highly-customized cancer treatments to preventative therapies for likely future conditions, the first step is mapping the patient’s genome. Labnet International has a full line of Electrophoresis and Molecular Biology equipment designed for research and diagnostics. With a better understanding of our own genetic makeup, we can take preventative lifestyle steps to minimize risk of predisposed conditions like:
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular disease
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Diabetes • Obesity
- Neuropsychiatric disorders
Beyond prevention, personalized medicine can provide targeted therapies and treatments to individuals based on specific genetic markers. Combining pharmacology –drug therapy—with specific information about a person’s genetic makeup results in the field of pharmacogenomics.
We have gained a great deal of knowledge about how specific patients respond to therapies based on their personal genetic markers. In a specific example, the FDA has advised physicians to test some cancer patients for certain genetic markers reasoning that some individuals may not be able to clear certain chemotherapies from their system resulting in greater risk of side effects.
We view these advances with great optimism and anticipation of more affordable, effective and lifesaving treatments for all of us. Our challenge is to provide useful tools to the researchers who are making these great advancements. We do that by remaining engaged with our customers and their work.