Very personalized medicine
Personal "omic" profile – a prototype of the medicine of the future
A geneticist from Stanford University, Dr. Michael Snyder, literally hides nothing from his colleagues. For more than two years, Snyder's laboratory staff, led by the hero himself, have been digging into the most intimate secrets of his body. They studied the sequence of his DNA and RNA, the features of proteins synthesized by his cells, as well as the activity of metabolites and signaling molecules moving in his bloodstream. They also observed the work of his immune system in the process of fighting viral infections.
Snyder was shocked by the discovery of his predisposition to type 2 diabetes, after which, together with colleagues, he observed a sharp increase in glucose levels in his own blood shortly after a viral infection, which marked the manifestation of this disease. Thus, they became the first witnesses (at the molecular level) of the origin of the disease, which affects a huge number of people around the world. This is an important achievement on the way to realizing the potential of personalized medicine, the essence of which is to adapt the methods of medical care to the unique characteristics of each individual.
According to Snyder, he did not know any relatives with type 2 diabetes and did not have any significant risk factors for this disease. However, analysis of the results of genome sequencing revealed the presence of a genetic predisposition, so the researchers began to closely monitor the dynamics of glucose levels in Snyder's blood. As a result, timely identification of the problem allowed the scientist to immediately change his diet and start training. Thanks to the timely measures taken, Snyder's blood glucose gradually returned to the normal range and he managed to avoid starting the process of tissue damage, which would have been inevitable in the case of a latent course of the disease and its detection after 1-2 years (a typical development of events at the present stage of medical development).
Researchers call an unprecedented analysis based on the collection and analysis of a huge amount of personal data, an integrative personal "omic" profile – iPOP (from the English an integrative Personal "Omics" Profile). "Ohmic" means that the analyzed information contains data about the genome (DNA that is part of the cell) and the proteome (all proteins of the body). Snyder's iPOP, among other things, also includes data on its metabolome (all metabolites), transcriptome (RNA transcripts) and autoantibody profiles.
According to the researchers, Snyder's diabetes is one of the countless problems that can be identified and predicted using iPOP, and the study conducted is a prototype of the medicine of the future.
As part of the experiment, Snyder donated about 20 blood samples (about once every 2 months in a healthy state and more often during illnesses) for analysis. Each of them was analyzed using several methods to determine the levels of tens of thousands of biological variables. The data obtained was used to compile a dynamic picture of the vital activity of Snyder's body, and its comparison with the information obtained during sequencing and analysis of his DNA provided an incredible amount of truly invaluable information.
At the current stage, this type of analysis is extremely expensive. However, it can be expected that, like genome-wide sequencing, it will become significantly cheaper in the near future. Moreover, it is also worth considering the benefits that society can get from preventing the development of serious diseases in its members.
Article by Rui Chen et al. Personal Omics Profiling Reveals Dynamic Molecular and Medical Phenotypes published in the journal Cell.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on Stanford University materials:
Revolution in personalized medicine: First-ever integrative 'omics' profile lets scientist discover, track his diabetes onset.
19.03.2012