The face of healthcare and medicine is ever changing. Currently, the newest trend in healthcare is precision medicine. This is evident when we examine the precision medicine market; in the U.S., it is forecasted to grow by as much as 11%. Precision medicine is a wholly novel field, but at the same time, has been practiced for centuries. At its core, precision medicine aims to eliminate any possible chance of disease by attacking first. The modern take on precision medicine is carried out by medical professionals who have the resources to predict and target specific illnesses. Modern day precision medicine accomplishes this by focusing on the differences between individuals’ genes. One method to differentiate between genes is genome sequencing; medical professionals can compare genomes and see where genomes differ. If an individual’s gene differs at an important location, then medical professionals can delve deeper into what that anomaly can mean. While it seems that precision medicine is the next ideal path on the road of medicine, many question its ethical basis. In addition, its growth was, in part, fueled by the Obama administration, causing many to question its legitimacy. This article will examine the growth of precision medicine, its role in current medicine, and its future. More importantly, this article will present both the “good” and “bad” of precision medicine in an unbiased light, allowing the reader to make their own decision about precision medicine.

Before we examine the growth of precision medicine, it is firstly important to consider its history. The first major event in the history of precision medicine was when Dr. Karl Landsteiner of the University of Vienna created the ABO blood grouping system in 1990. He was able to successfully ascertain why some blood transfusions were deadly, while others presented no complications. For a couple of decades, the advancement of precision medicine was stalled until the discovery of RNA and DNA molecules. As scientists developed their basic understanding of genes, protein expression, and reproduction, precision medicine became a more feasible field. The Human Genome Project was the final turning point that allowed precision medicine to grow exponentially. Researchers and doctors were able to physically see where genomes differed, and where possible harmful genes were located. This advancement was important because the core of precision medicine, as mentioned above, is preventive diagnosis. Doctors practicing precision medicine were able to predict whether or not an individual had a set of alleles or genes that would lead to a certain disease by using the Human Genome Sequence and having the ability to sequence individual genomes. Equipped with this knowledge, doctors began to offer “personalized” treatments. Identifying mutations in a patient’s genome gives us insight into diseases that the patient may suffer from in the future. As a result, doctors can prescribe treatments and medication that will prevent possible diseases.

The history of precision medicine was rooted in scientific developments in the field of molecular biology. As our understanding of molecular biology increased, our ability to apply it to precision medicine increased. The growth of precision medicine was supported by scientists, doctors, healthcare workers, pharmaceutical companies, and the American government. However, it is currently opposed by many because searching through a patient’s genome may be considered invasive. An individual’s genome essentially tells their whole story. Others also believe that we don’t know enough about the genome sequence to fully incorporate it into medicine. A final group believes that gene therapy has the potential to turn into something dangerous, such as parents selecting their children’s genes.

While there are both positives and negatives to precision medicine, it is a growing field that is gaining traction every day. It is up to us, as the next generation, to decide whether precision medicine is something that we should pursue, or something that can potentially be dangerous.

References:

Cuffari, B. (2020, February 07). The past, present, and future of precision medicine. Retrieved March 11, 2021, from https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/The-Past-Present-and-Future-of-Precision-Medicine.aspx

Pagán, C. (2019, June 08). What can precision medicine do for you? Retrieved March 11, 2021, from https://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/precision-medicine-future

Phillips, C. (2020, January 31). Precision medicine and ITS Imprecise History · Issue 2.1, WINTER 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2021, from https://hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/y7r65r4k/release/3