107 - Biomarkers: state of the art and perspectives
Autor(s): G. Castaldo
Issue: RIMeL - IJLaM, Vol. 5, N. 3-S1, 2009 (MAF Servizi srl ed.)
Page(s): 107
Recent years saw an explosive increase of biochemical markers in medicine, mainly due to the translational research on the molecular basis of human diseases and to the technological research that resulted in efficient procedures for the analysis of such molecules. For example, high throughput gene sequencing analyzes a complete genome in a few days, and microchip based technologies permit the study of hundreds of gene variants in a single run in large series of subjects. Every day a new gene responsible for a human disease is identified and it is becoming clear that “modifier” genes, inherited independently of the disease-gene, influence the phenotype of each patient and helps to predict the outcome. A large group of diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity) are associated with complex interactions between several (some still unknown), genes and are influenced by environmental factors. This complex interaction, which seems to vary from patient to patient, has led to the concept of “personalized medicine”.….