The human genome is the blueprint for life, and understanding it is essential to unlocking the mysteries of modern medicine.
Genetics
DNA is the building block of life and holds all of our genetic information. It’s the basis for inheritance, evolution, and biological systems. DNA is an integral part of genetics and biology.
In short: understanding how genes work is essential to understanding why we get sick and how to treat diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes—to name just a few examples
Cancer treatments
Cancer is a complex disease. It is caused by several factors, including genetics and the immune system. Your DNA contains all the information needed to create your body, which can be altered by mutations in some people. These changes can trigger cancerous growths that result in tumors and other forms of malignancy. Because these mutations are unique to every person’s DNA, it’s essential that doctors understand them when treating patients or performing research on new drugs and procedures.
New drugs
As you may know, pharmaceutical companies use DNA sequencing to develop new drugs. This is especially true for cancer treatments, where patients are often prescribed many different kinds of medications in order to keep their disease at bay—and as a result, some of these drugs can have dangerous side effects. DNA sequencing allows doctors to determine which drugs are more likely to work for a specific patient or if there are any other medical conditions they should be aware of and treat accordingly. In this way, developing an effective treatment plan relies heavily on understanding the genetics behind it all—which ultimately makes DNA sequencing essential for modern healthcare.
Personalized medicine
Personalized medicine is the practice of tailoring healthcare to the individual based on their genetic makeup.
It is typically contrasted with “allopathic” medicine, which views all patients as having similar susceptibilities to diseases and conditions, and treats them accordingly with standardized treatments. Personalized medicine is an increasingly popular area of research in the biopharma industry, where scientists work hard to identify new drug targets for specific types of cancers and other illnesses based on patient genotypes. Researchers in this field rely on groups like Avantor to “provide the products, services, solutions, and expertise necessary to move through research and production quickly and confidently.
The field has also been gaining traction among consumers: recent surveys show that an increasing number of Americans are interested in learning more about how their genes impact health outcomes—and want access to this information to make better decisions about their wellbeing.
Understanding the human genome is key to unlocking the mysteries of modern medicine.
The human genome is a highly complex set of instructions that tell our bodies how to grow, develop, and function. It’s made up of DNA, the chemical that holds genetic information. And it’s stored within chromosomes—structures in cells that carry the DNA.
The genome contains all the information necessary for you to grow from a single cell into a full-fledged adult with trillions of cells. This makes it one of the most essential parts of your body!
Understanding the human genome is key to unlocking the mysteries of modern medicine. Researchers use data about how your DNA works when developing new treatments for diseases like cancer and heart disease. If we can understand how specific genes affect different conditions—and which ones are related—we can develop better ways to treat them (or even prevent them from happening in the first place).
We’ve only just started to scratch the surface of what we might be able to do with this knowledge. With a better understanding of how our genes relate to diseases and treatments, doctors can personalize treatments based on your unique genetic makeup. And as new technologies emerge that allow us to sequence an entire genome in just a few days instead of months, we could one day be able to diagnose diseases before they start—which could mean fewer people suffering from chronic illnesses or dying prematurely due to lack of early intervention.
