Information, Success: Personal Records

The world is defined by information. Words are traded, numbers are exchanged, and knowledge is gained. Too often, however, that knowledge is offered only to a select few. The public is all too frequently unaware of data and how it affects them, and this is never more experienced than in health care.

Medication can baffle. Specialists can be hard to find. Hospitals and their rules can prove to be challenging too many, and there can be a sense of powerlessness with every misunderstood diagnosis or misread chart. It’s imperative that individuals gain a sense of control with their records. Health care information systems allow that control to be achieved.

Explained simply, health care information systems are online databases that enable users to input specific facts. They are intended as personal storage files, with all relevant details listed and organized. All prescriptions can be noted and all symptoms can be written. Appointments can be scheduled and files can even be made available to caregivers or doctors. Sharing is easy and instant, which ensures that results can be gained without confusion. These systems allow the public to understand their medical histories and chronicle every change.

But directories can only succeed when the information offered to them is current. It’s vital that all individuals update their files as often as possible. Note all concerns, drug interactions, and more. This is to ensure that physicians can provide the proper care and no mistakes will be made.  Choosing these databases offers the public a chance to reclaim control over their health. The facts are relevant and the results are worthwhile.

 

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Biotech Hurdles Facing Personalized Vaccines

Human genome
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The human body fights infections using a complex system of genes. Vaccines are just one area in which advances in health medicine seek to match or personalize medical care to the individuals genetic make-up. The possibility of matching a vaccine to a specific person’s human genome make-up is mind boggling. Scientists are researching how to replace one-size-for-all vaccines with personalized vaccines that are tailored for the genetic make-up of the individual.

Since the human genome project’s first phase was complete over a decade ago, biotech researchers have developed sequencing tools which allow them to pinpoint the genes and gene groupings that play a role in the individual human body’s response to vaccines. Although these vaccines have not yet come into existence the horizon can be seen where patients will have their human genome sequences saved on their health insurance cards and their doctor or pharmacist matches their prescription to their gene sequence.

Amazing headway that has been made in this area but there are lingering challenges for biotech researchers. It is complex and difficult to identify which genes respond to vaccines. The human genome structure has thousands of immune related genes and they interact in complicated and varied ways. Other factors such as environmental influences, stress, and hormones can also play a role in the body’s response.

Another reason not to expect a personally tailored flu shot any time soon, is that once health medicine researchers find the answers to the above complex issues, they still have to get the vaccine research approved by the FDA. The drugs will cost more to manufacture and be less profitable to pharmaceutical companies who provide billions in research to get drugs approved. This will likely be another hurdle the personalized drugs will need to overcome.

Despite these battles, biotech researchers continue to pursue their efforts. Currently, vaccines for influenza, hepatitis, HIV, and herpes, and others are being researched and will not doubt one day be personalized for each individual. It is just a matter of time before these advances become reality.

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Biotech’s New Pharmacogenomics

Image of a DNA chain which shows the double he...
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Phamacogenomics-this word will certainly use up tiles on your next game of Scrabble but it’s so new it will likely not be recognized in the dictionary. It is the cutting edge field which studies how genes affect a person’s ability to respond to drugs. Creating safe, effective drug therapies that are customized to the individual patient’s genetic makeup is the goal. This field of biotech science is still in its early stages of development. It has been birthed as a result of the human genome project which was completed in 2003.

Biotech researchers seek to tailor drugs to treat conditions such as arthritis, cancer, asthma, and Alzheimer disease to name a few. Although age, diet, environment, lifestyle, and various other factors can contribute to a person’s response to certain drugs, health medicine researchers believe that genetic makeup is the key to creating personalized drugs that are tailor-made for the individual patient. Additionally, researchers hope to cut down on the number of adverse drug reactions or side effects to medications which cause 100,000 deaths per year.

Some of the health medicine benefits biotech researchers anticipate as a result of pharmacogenomics are more powerful, safer, more accurately dosed medications and vaccines. Researchers will be able to make drugs based upon certain enzymes, proteins, and RNA molecules that are associated with the specific genes that cause a disease; treating it with limited damage to healthy cells. Doctors will no longer have to depend on trial-and-error but will be able to assign the right drug to the patient from the get go. Genetically tailored medications will be dosed based upon the individual’s metabolism and genetic likelyhood to tolerate the drug instead of mere age, height and weight.

Additionally, pharmaceutical companies will be able to develop drug therapies more easily using the human genome targets. Clinical trials will waste less time and money by matching the trial to those with genetics most likely to respond to the drug being tested. This will lead to an overall reduction in the cost of health care costs for consumers. Looks like pharmacogenomics is a winning word after all.

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