Imagine taking a pill that was custom-designed to treat every disease you are likely to get based on your genetic make-up. It sounds like science fiction, but researchers are working towards it right now.
The holy grail for genetic researchers is human DNA, and slowly they are finding more and more genes that can predict illnesses like cancer and heart and joint diseases.
"Your inherited genes are over 50 percent of the causes of most diseases, so it's important to understand and know that genetic basis," says geneticist Dr Tony Merriman.
By studying a person's genetic makeup, they believe they will be able to tailor medicines to treat that individual.
"One of the goals was to get us to the point where we have truly personalised medicine," says Dr Mik Black of Otago University's Genomics Facility. "So the research we're doing in New Zealand can create the ability to take a genomic profile from someone and turn it into a treatment that's personalised."
Within 10 years doctors hope to use a simple blood test to predict which diseases an individual will get, and to custom-design a pill to treat those particular diseases.
"People may think that medicine is the whole answer," says Professor Mark Henaghan of the Human Genome Project. "That once you've got the pill, that'll deal with the genetics and you don't have to worry about anything else, but I think all the studies in genomics show that environment's an important factor."
Early next year a major report to be released by the Law Foundation is expected to fire debate about the pros and cons of personalised medicine.
Law and policy makers are keeping a close eye into research on how genes predict disease and the emergence of so called 'designer drugs' to ensure public debate keeps pace with changing technology.
3 News