Personalized medicine

pre-printWith the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, the world's attention has focused on converting this vast storehouse of information into innovative health care solutions. The ultimate promise, assuming we know everyone's genotype, is to ensure that every person has optimum health throughout his/her life. This promise has many parts, including optimum nutrition, clean air and water supplies, up-to-date immunizations and regular health screenings. The part of the promise to be fulfilled by knowledge and information stemming from genomics, proteomics and other "omics" is yet unfolding, but the first cautious steps are being taken and are called "Personalized Medicine". Personalized Medicine implies that optimum health goes beyond the basics of clean air and water and takes advantage of the "omics" knowledge to allow the person and his/her clinicians to make therapeutic and lifestyle choices which take the "omics" into account