Applications of Personalised Medicine

Personalized medicine will result in a treatment plan tailored to an individual’s genome and individualized to their needs. Personalised medicine may allow for a better diagnosis, earlier intervention, and the development of more efficient drugs and more targeted treatments [13].

Diagnosis and intervention

A more accurate diagnosis and more specific treatment plan can be determined by assessing a patient on an individual basis. The process of genotyping involves using biological tests to determine an individual’s DNA sequence.
The genetic code of an individual can be compared with a reference genome, like that of the Human Genome Project, to assess the occurrence of existing genetic variations that may contribute to disease [14].
It is then possible to apply this information to effectively diagnose and treat an individual. It is also important to know one’s genetic make-up in order to determine how well they respond to a particular treatment. Therefore, knowing their genetic content can change the type of treatment they receive. Pharmacogenomics is one aspect of this, which makes use of an individual’s genome to provide more customized and informed drug prescriptions [15].
Diagnostic tests can guide therapy as part of a theranostic platform in personalized medicine. Diagnostic tests can involve medical imaging, such as MRI contrast agents,fluorescent markers, and nuclear imaging agents (PET radiotracers or SPECT agents)[16], as well as in vitro lab tests, with DNA sequencing of certain samples[17], along with deep learning algorithms that weigh the results of tests for several different biomarkers[18].
In order to test the effectiveness and safety of a drug, it is now possible to run companion diagnostic tests specific to a patient group or sub-group. In this case, it refers to a technology developed to enhance the therapeutic treatment available to each individual based on the results of an assay that is developed during or after a drug has been released into the market[19]. These companion diagnostics have incorporated pharmacogenomic information into the prescription label of the drugs in order to assist the prescriber in making the most informed and efficient treatment decision for the patient[19].