28.02.2013 Views

Download File - JOHN J. HADDAD, Ph.D.

Download File - JOHN J. HADDAD, Ph.D.

Download File - JOHN J. HADDAD, Ph.D.

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Diagnostic Approaches to Maximize Therapeutic Effect 199<br />

Figure 2 Theranostic approach.<br />

drugs, let alone novel drugs developed with these criteria in mind. Ultimately this<br />

may lead to individualized genetic profiles to select the safest and most effective<br />

drug for each individual. The same insight will allow us to achieve the most<br />

desirable goal, to prevent disease to begin with.<br />

We are uncertain as to the overall direction of theranostics over the next<br />

10 years. Although new analytical systems introduced during the last decade<br />

have offered incremental improvements over previously available technology,<br />

there are still many daunting scientific challenges, besides the ethical issues that<br />

need to be resolved. Genetic information and individual or ethnic group stratification<br />

raises privacy questions and ethical dilemmas about disease susceptibility,<br />

prognosis, and treatment options. Obviously, information of this type must<br />

be carefully safeguarded to ensure privacy. Many legal and economic issues will<br />

need to be resolved. The vision of theranostics is leading us to a more individualized<br />

approach to drug therapy, while revealing limits inherent to the<br />

treatment of disease in broad patient populations. Whether or not these new<br />

technologies and approaches find their way into everyday clinical use during the<br />

next 10 years, they will no doubt prove valuable tools in clinical research<br />

directed at optimizing drug therapy.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

1. Lesko, LJ. Personalized medicine: elusive dream or imminent reality? Clin <strong>Ph</strong>armacol<br />

Ther 2007; 81(6):807–816.<br />

2. Papadopoulos N, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B. The role of companion diagnostics in<br />

the development and use of mutation-targeted cancer therapies. Nat Biotechnol 2006;<br />

24(8):985–995.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!