According to Heger (2010, p.5), personalized medicine refers to a relatively new scientific method that favors to give the treatment the hat is depended on an individual’s genetic profile. In this method of treating individuals suffering from the same illness are given different medications depending on their genetic makeup. In this approach, individuals are categorized in regard to their different sensitivities to different drugs and diseases. This enables to design drugs that are specific to individuals’ genotype. This method of medication has been an issue of ethical concern. Personalized medication is a great step in the medical field in their effort to realize specialized medication of patients depending on their genetic makeup. Although, it raises a number of ethical issues, it is the right way forward in medicine.
Bioinformatics relies on use of computers to analyze biological data. It depends on the use of sequencing of the genes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms, commonly known as SNPs are the common genetic variation types in humans. Often mutations in single base pairs occur. This happens in specific DNA sequences, this sets the basis for the performance of genetic sequencing, and hence the determination of the sensitivities in different individuals’.Usually, this part of the gene is amplified, followed by allele discrimination. This involves hybridization of the specific allele, specific cleavage of the allele, ligation, and Primer extension, and single base extension, nucleotide sequencing of a single nucleotide, also known as pyrosequencing, and finally assaying the results (Smolinski, 2008, p.34).
The position of mutation can be easily detected using computer programmed software. Different individuals will show different reactions and sensitivities to the same drug because of their different genetic makeup. The study of the individual’s genome sequence has therefore been of great assistance, as it enabled drugs designed to address the various genetic variations of individuals. Chances of patients’ overreactions with some drugs, due to hypersensitivities are thus taken care of. Molecular targeted therapeutics’ has been enabled. In the industrial world, it has been played a significant role as well.
This has led to the development of commercial therapeutic antibodies such as Austin and Rituxan. There has been the development of new vaccines, antibodies, biomarkers that are essential in drug delivery and growth in the biotechnology industry. Oncology related antibodies have also been commercialized. In medicine, they have led to an important discovery of the genome-based drug treatment. Their use has in particular been of great value towards oncology cases, due to the constant mutation that the cells undergo. With the molecularly targeted therapeutics, the drug delivery has been greatly improved. There is great increase in efficiency and designing of drugs safety profile (Kelly, 2008, para.5).
In regard to science, this approach has been important. The discovery of new antibodies such as erbitux, and new cytokines has led to the scientists being alert and researching for the next generation of antibodies. Many scientists are now in research for more advanced equipments for cells screening, stem cells research, and tissue and cell therapy. This has also been necessitated by development of biotechnological equipment in response with the research needs. The discovery has therefore been instrumental in ushering the science world into a new arena. The society has also benefited in that there is more hope of better health services, and ultimately increases in life expectance.
Personalized treatment cannot be separated from bioinformatics as they both rely on data obtained from the genome and its analysis using highly sophisticated technology. In addition they, on depend on cellular and clinical data. Both revolve around genes and biotechnology. In essence, personalized treatment has stemmed from bioinformatics. According to Marcus (2008, P.55), there are ethical concerns associated with this. One of such issue includes decrease in protection of the patient’s privacy. In cases where the costs are met by the employer or insurance company, the patients’ privacy is violated. The data also can be easily accessible by unauthorized individuals, which raises the concern of data privacy as it makes the patient’s privacy not protected. Therefore the individual genome analysis would expose the patient private life more than if the general medication was administered. Moreover, through this method, patients are at a risk of loss of autonomy of their health. Furthermore, this approach is quite expensive and thus not affordable to many.
Personalized medicine changes the traditional way of medication, where a drug is generally given to treat a common condition in all the patients. In this type of medication, medication is personalized to curb the side effect associated with some drugs due to the difference in the genocide of individuals. Despite the ethical concerns associated with personalized medication it is a more effective medication and a great step in medical field towards delivery of better and more specific treatment. However, because of the costs involved, it discriminates against the poor and rich. The future in this field is quite promising. There is great hope in handling oncology cases better, viral diseases and development in immunotherapy (Jain, 2010, para.5).
Conclusion
Personalized treatment has emerged as a result of bioinformatics. It has met questions of ethical concern, but the results and discoveries associated with it are far beneficial and outweigh the questions raised about it. Thus, it is a great discovery in the medical field, despite its high cost that makes the traditional method an option for the majority.
References
Heger, M. (2010) Sequencing strategy detects rearrangement. In sequence, New York: vol 1, 2-5. Web.
Jain, M. Personalized Medicine: Scientific and Commercial aspects. Business intelligence reports. 2010. Web.
Kelly, R. (2008) Science, policy and ethics in personalized medicine. Let’s get personal. Michigan, vol 1, 6-9. Web.
Marcus, F. (2008) Bioinformatics and systems Biology. New York: Springer publishers.
Smolinski, T. (2008) Computational intelligence in biomedicine and bioinformatics. New York: Springer publishers.