Will genome sequencing bring precision medicine for all?

The health secretary wants to introduce genetic screening to the NHS – but many firms are already selling cheap testing kitsThe buzz phrase among a small army of biotech companies looking to get a foothold in the ever-expanding health market is “personalised medicine” or, as it’s also known, “precision medicine”. At the core of this concept is the understanding that we are all different, with different biological make-ups and different environments. Therefore a one-size-fits-all approach to diagnostics and treatment is long out o f date.One of our most important areas of difference, and certainly the one that is increasingly subject to scientific scientific analysis, is our personal genome. The 21st-century revolution in genetics has been as dramatic as that seen in computer technology. The first human genome to be sequenced took 13 years. It can now be done in a day. The genetic information that cost about £2bn to extract in 1990 can now be got for a couple of hundred pounds.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Science Genetics Biology NHS DNA database Health Matt Hancock Medical research Cancer research Heart disease Source Type: news