precision medicine

Question 1

what is precision medicine

Answer 1

medicine where individual’s genetic info studied, best approach found for their genes
- used commonly for cancer treatments to improve survival + reduce adverse effects
- also known as personalized medicine

Question 3

genetic sequencing + precision medicine

Answer 3

genetic sequencing: determining bases in a gene
- used in precision medicine to identify genetic variants, can help determine possibility of a person contracting a disease, whether treatment should be started early

Question 4

misconceptions about precision medicine

Answer 4

precision medicine: doesn’t create a new treatment method for an individual, but takes into consideration an individual’s lifestyle + environment + genetic makeup to determine best approach in using existing treatments

Question 5

use an example

Answer 5

Leigh Syndrome: neurological disease which affects newborns, resulting in death
Case study: young boy with condition undergoes genetic sequencing, and identifies a rare mutation responsible for his symptoms; his specific mutation can be treated easily, and other people who are found to have this rare mutation can undergo preventative treatment to avoid disease