14 DAY TRIAL // The United States and UK are about to start two research programs which could significantly improve the treatment methods for diseases, some of them currently incurable, the NewScientist reports.
Both programs have the same purpose: collecting blood and DNA from a large number of people and analyzing the different types of gene combinations which lead to diseases. All this data would be stored in a huge database and it would be used to come up with personalized treatments.
After all this data is collected, the researchers will monitor the individuals' evolution, the diseases which occur during their lifetime and most importantly, the gene combinations for them.
In this way, efficient treatments for diseases like asthma, multiple sclerosis, cancer and cystic fibrosis, could be obtained.
According to the NewScientist, the British project, called Biobank, is scheduled to begin in a few weeks, after half a decade of preparations; the US one is still in the incipient stage.
"This exciting project may one day herald a new era of medicine. In 20 years time, we may see individualised approaches to disease prevention and treatment. Once we understand the genetic bases of various diseases and the genetic differences between individuals that may affect their responses, it may become possible for a GP to prescribe drugs or other treatments designed specifically for people's own genetic makeup," Professor Sir George Radda, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council, said.
Both studies will need precise environmental data, such as details on the diet and levels of radiations and chemicals, this stage being vital for a precise identification of the disease.
"One major difficulty lies in collecting reliable environmental data. Get this wrong and the study will fail," Biobank's chief executive Rory Collins told the New Scientist.