How might we cure diseases in the future

1
How might we cure diseases in the future?
2
Using what we know about genes

• Pharmacogenetics/ Pharmacogenomics
• Gene Therapy
• Regenerative medicine

3
Pharmacogenomics, PharmacogeneticsPERSONALIZED
MEDICINE

• This relatively new field combines pharmacology
  (the science of drugs) and genomics (the study of
  genes and their functions) to develop effective,
  safe medications and doses that will be tailored
  to a persons genetic makeup.

4
For example
Hannah doesnt feel well
So she goes to see Dr. Ramirez
5
Dr. Ramirez examines Hannah and decides that she
needs antibiotics to make her better
There are many types of antibiotics and in the
past Dr. Ramirez had to make an educated guess as
to which one would work best for Hannah and which
one might give her unwanted side effects.
Using pharmacogenomics/pharmacogenetics, Dr.
Ramirez could look at Hannahs DNA to determine
which antibiotic would work best and not cause
side effects.
6
One size does not fit all
Can you think of a medicine that doesnt work for
you?
7
Gene Therapy

• Gene therapy is the insertion of genes into
  an individual's cells and tissues to treat a
  disease and hereditary diseases in which a
  defective mutant allele is replaced with a
  functional one.

8
Example

• A normal gene may be inserted into a nonspecific
  location within the genome to replace a
  nonfunctional gene. This approach is most common.

9

• An abnormal gene could be swapped for a normal
  gene through homologous recombination.

10
The abnormal gene could be repaired through
selective reverse mutation, which returns the
gene to its normal function.
11

• The regulation (the degree to which a gene is
  turned on or off) of a particular gene could be
  altered.

12
Regenerative Medicine STEM CELL THERAPY

• Regenerative medicine focuses on the repair,
  replacement or regeneration of cells, tissues, or
  organs. It uses a combination of approaches
  including soluble molecules, gene therapy, stem
  cell transplantation, tissue engineering, and the
  reprogramming of cell and tissue types.

13
Stem Cells

• embryonic stem cells, In a developing embryo,
  stem cells can differentiate into all of the
  specialized embryonic tissues
• adult stem cells, In adult organisms, stem cells
  and progenitor cells act as a repair system for
  the body, replenishing specialized cells.
• cord blood stem cells, which are found in the
  umbilical cord and act similarly to adult stem
  cells.

14
Regenerative medicine is already being used.

• Bone marrow transplants
• ??????
• So why cant it be used to replace all faulty
  cells?

15
Stem cell controversy