A one-size-fits-all approach in healthcare has its own benefits and risks. To move away from this concept, personalised medicine, also known as precision medicine, was introduced.
It’s an approach that involves personalising medical decisions, treatments, interventions, and preventive measures for each patient, including genetic makeup, molecular profiles, environmental factors, etc.
This approach has helped healthcare providers optimise treatment outcomes for patients, thus minimising adverse effects and improving patient satisfaction. But what are the latest breakthroughs in personalised medicine? And are they fruitful? Let’s find out in this blog.
Latest Breakthroughs in Personalized Medicine
The Theranostic Approach
The theranostic approach, also known as pharmacodiagnostics, is a branch of medicine that combines molecular diagnostic tests with targeted therapy in medicine. This field plays an essential role in providing personalised medicine.
In nuclear medicine, theranostics involve using the same or similar molecules for diagnostic imaging and therapy. But it’s done in different doses or labelled differently with radioactivity.
This approach predicts whether a treatment will benefit a patient, especially children or adults with weakened immune systems. Theranostics can also assess targeted nuclear therapies’ safety and potential side effects.
Open-Source Computer Platform for Cancer Clinical Trial Pairing
Recent research shows that non-small-cell lung cancer can affect 1.41 million by 2029, while colorectal cancer can affect 1.74 million by 2031. So, there’s a high demand for efficient diagnosis mechanisms and treatments across various cancer types.
MatchMiner is an open-source platform that facilitates searching for potential clinical trial options by matching patient eligibility criteria with over 250 ongoing clinical trials for various cancers. The platform significantly decreases the time it takes for patients to consent to clinical trials after their tumours are genetically profiled. Here, patients identified through MatchMiner consented an average of 55 days earlier than non-platform patients, resulting in a 22% improvement.
Quick screening for dementia
Globally, more than 55 million people suffer from dementia, and 10 million cases are expected every year. It affects many people because it’s diagnosed only after the symptoms appear, making treatment difficult.
In recent research, 500,000 people were analysed to see if there were early signs that someone might develop dementia before obvious symptoms appeared. They discovered subtle changes in cognitive abilities years before diagnosis. This could help screen people earlier and involve them in clinical trials for new treatments. The goal is to catch dementia sooner and improve outcomes.
How is Personalised Medicine Impacting Healthcare?
Personalised medicine is positively impacting healthcare in multiple ways.
Improved treatment outcomes
Personalised medicine allows treating people concerning individual genetics, lifestyle, and disease factors. This has led to better patient responses and fewer side effects.
Optimised drug selection and dosing
Pharmacogenomics has helped healthcare providers choose the right medications and doses for patients based on genetic variations. This has reduced the risk of adverse reactions.
Cost-effective healthcare
Though personalised medicine demands an upfront investment, it cuts healthcare costs in the long run. Since it can identify the most effective way to treat patients, it avoids unnecessary or ineffective therapies.
As technology evolves, it helps us deepen our understanding of human biology, and personalised medicine is expected to play an important role in shaping the future of healthcare. Overall, this concept holds a big promise for revolutionising healthcare.
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