The rapid advancements in technology have resulted in the generation of vast amounts of information in every aspect of our lives. Our personality is unique and not just limited to our physical features or behaviour. Our health, susceptibility to diseases, and response to medications are also individualized. The healthcare sector has made significant progress in the past few decades, and the evolution of medicine is advancing at an exponential rate. The field of genetics has brought about a revolutionary change in the delivery of personalized healthcare. This approach to patient care involves tailoring medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient.
What is Personalized Medicine?
Personalised medicine is an emerging medical practice that uses an individual's genetic profile to guide disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment decisions. According to this 2013 study, some medicines may be effective for you but may not work well for other people. To make better treatments, Personalised medicine helps to create careful alignment of patients' biology with effective ways of medical care. It is already being used by healthcare providers across the globe.
Personalised medicine is a medical model that aims to provide customised prevention and treatment strategies for defined groups of people. as quoted in a report by Forbes- The idea behind personalized medicine is that practitioners can take advantage of this patient information to determine "which approaches will be effective for which patients based on genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors," to borrow a phrase from the National Library of Medicine.
An example, given by 'National Human Genome Research Institute' children with leukemia might get the TPMT gene test to help doctors choose the right dosage of medicine to prevent toxic side effects. Some HIV-infected patients are severely allergic to treatment drugs, and genetic tests can help identify who can safely take the medicines.
According to another 2023 study published by the American Cancer Society shared by US Pharmacist, says that personalised medicine in the care of cancer patients provides various benefits from recognising those with a higher risk of cancer, detecting cancer early,obtaining an accurate diagnosis, selecting the best cancer therapy, and to assessing patient response to treatment.
According to a TOI report, this approach involves understanding an individual's genetic makeup to make decisions about disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This will provide more effective treatment options and advanced detection, resulting in improved overall health and lower healthcare costs.
The growing importance of genetics in healthcare has given rise to the idea of preventive personal healthcare. This approach entails using genetic information to forecast a patient's future health risks and developing interventions to prevent disease onset before it happens.
Innovations in Personalized Medicine
According to a study published in 2023 by a US Pharmacist, other innovations include the development and application of gene therapies and pharmacogenetic tests. Pharmacogenetic tests inform clinicians about how an individual patient's genetic makeup influences the patient's therapeutic response to specific treatments.
Pharmacogenomics seeks to personalise drug therapy to maximise efficacy while minimising side effects. The identification of specific genes that influence drug metabolism and response has resulted in the development of pharmacogenetic tests that can assist physicians in selecting the most appropriate medication and dosage for each patient.
Genetics is used in healthcare for more than just disease prevention and treatment. Genetic testing can also reveal important information about an individual's ancestry, predisposition to common genetic disorders, and potential carrier status for genetic conditions that can be passed down through future generations.
In bottom Line
Personalised medicine represents a paradigm shift in healthcare, with tailored treatments capable of significantly improving patient outcomes. In India, personalised medicine is a relatively new but rapidly expanding field of healthcare that is informed by each individual's unique clinical, genetic, genomic, and environmental information. It is about creating a treatment as unique as the disease. It entails identifying genetic, genomic, and clinical data that allows for precise predictions about a person's susceptibility to the disease, its progression, and response to treatment.
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