• Will Science Cure the World?
    Awake!—2007 | January

    • ◼ Genomics The study of gene structure is known as genomics. Every cell in the human body is packed with many components that are vital to life. One of these components is the gene. Each of us has about 35,000 genes that determine hair color and texture, skin and eye color, height, and other features of our individual physical appearance. Our genes also play an important role in determining the quality of our internal organs.

      When genes are damaged, they can have an impact on our health. In fact, some researchers believe that all diseases arise from genetic malfunction. Some defective genes are inherited from our parents. Others are damaged by exposure to harmful elements in our environment.

      Scientists hope that they will soon be able to identify the specific genes that predispose us to disease. This can allow doctors to understand, for instance, why certain individuals are more prone to cancers than others or why a type of cancer is more aggressive in some people than in others. Genomics may also reveal why a drug proves effective for some patients while not for others.

      Such specific genetic information may give birth to what is being called personalized medicine. How might you benefit from this technology? The concept of personalized medicine suggests that medical care can be tailored to match your unique genetic profile. For example, if a study of your genes were to reveal that you are predisposed to develop a certain disease, doctors could detect such a disease long before any symptoms appeared. Proponents claim that in instances where the disease is not yet present, the right treatment, diet, and changes in behavior might even prevent the disease altogether.

      Your genes may also alert doctors to the likelihood of your having an adverse reaction to medication. This information may give doctors the ability to prescribe the precise kind of medicine and the dosage needed in your particular case. The Boston Globe reports: “By 2020, the impact [of personalized medicine] is likely to be far more sweeping than any of us can envision today. New gene-based designer drugs will be developed for diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and many other conditions that take a high toll on our society.”