Precision Medicine: Steps along the Road to Combat Human Cancer

Abstract

The diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer is becoming more accurate and specialized with the advent of precision medicine techniques, research and treatments. Reaching down to the cellular and even sub-cellular level, diagnostic tests can pinpoint specific, individual information from each patient, and guide providers to a more accurate plan of treatment. With this advanced knowledge, researchers and providers can better gauge the effectiveness of drugs, radiation, and other therapies, which is bound to lead to a more accurate, if not more positive, prognosis. As precision medicine becomes more established, new techniques, equipment, materials and testing methods will be required. Herein, we will examine the recent innovations in assays, devices and software, along with next generation sequencing in genomics diagnostics which are in use or are being developed for personalized medicine. So as to avoid duplication and produce the fullest possible benefit, all involved must be strongly encouraged to collaborate, across national borders, public and private sectors, science, medicine and academia alike. In this paper we will offer recommendations for tools, research and development, along with ideas for implementation. We plan to begin with discussion of the lessons learned to date, and the current research on pharmacogenomics. Given the steady stream of advances in imaging mass spectrometry and nanoLC-MS/MS, and use of genomic, proteomic and metabolomics biomarkers to distinguish healthy tissue from diseased cells, there is great potential to utilize pharmacogenomics to tailor a drug or drugs to a particular cohort of patients. Such efforts very well may bring increased hope for small groups of non-responders and those who have demonstrated adverse reactions to current treatments.

Metabolomics in infectious diseases and drug discovery

“…129 Dynamic profiling of the metabolomic pathway can also be applied to pharmacometabolomics and personalized medicine by in vivo MFA, which is becoming important in cancer biology to monitor the tumour microenvironment, in allergen immunotherapy and in studies of diet and nutrition. [130][131][132][133] Various factors affecting the treatment outcome for individuals, including levels of drug tolerance, ADME profiles of drugs and efficiencies of drug combinations, could be monitored precisely and used to build a personalized profile for disease prevention, early intervention and efficient, targeted treatment.…”

Application of Mass Spectrometry in Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research

“…Nevertheless, this method relies on targeted antibodies, takes time, and cannot be untargeted for unknown characteristics. MSI can directly map metabolites, enzymes, and lipids related to tumor genesis and development without labeling or molecular printing, thus obtaining spatial information of biomarkers, drug metabolism, and tissue types ( 25 ).…”

Single-Cell Multiomics Analysis for Drug Discovery

“…Each of these alterations indicates a deviance from the original parental genes, including modifications produced by methylation of cytosines. A recent and more powerful technology is personal genome sequencing, which produces direct and complete sequencing of genomes and transcriptomes (Table 1) [16]. Genomics techniques are gaining interest in the examination of an individual's microbiome as it relates to their health and disease [17][18][19][20][21].…”

“…Genomics techniques are gaining interest in the examination of an individual's microbiome as it relates to their health and disease [17][18][19][20][21]. Adapted with modification from [16].…”