How does genomics help guide precision medicine?
In this Ask the Experts video, Eric Green, MD, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, explains specific ways in which genomics can impact precision medicine, especially when it comes to medication and individual care.
Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING] We believe this is an era where precision can be brought to medicine in a way that just was not approachable before, particularly
around medications.
So I'm a physician. And so much of what was taught in medical school was far from precise.
In fact, most of what we learned in medical school then, and most of what they teach in medical school today, is about what works in the average patient.
But when you have a patient in front of you, that's an individual. And the question is, are there more precise
ways to treat that patient? And the answer we think now is, yes. Although we have a lot to accomplish to figure out
how to do that, we believe this is an era where precision can be brought to medicine in a way that just was not
approachable before, particularly around medications. That's just imprecise. And you give a medication, and as a physician,
you know that that medication works in some people, because otherwise, it wouldn't be available in the pharmacy.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have gotten FDA approval. But it doesn't mean you have a precise way to decide who's going to respond well and who won't.
So we can do better. And I think technological surges that have taken place in particular over the last quarter-century
are both pointing to ways to be more precise and pointing to ways to do research to figure out how to be more precise.
genetic disorders birth defects
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