Translational genomics, the conversion of genomic insights into clinically useful applications, is making rapid progress. Useful applications include better diagnosis of disease (e.g. better sub-classification of cancers), better disease prevention strategies (e.g. better vaccines), better drugs (e.g. targeted therapies), and better disease management in general. Those advances are regularly highlighted in the popular press, often with headlines that tend to over-promise in order to grab the attention of the reader. As an educational centre, we are keen to bring the potential clinical benefits of genomic advances to the attention of all healthcare workers but at the same time wish to ensure that claims made are critically appraised by everyone.
In this commentary section, we highlight recent publications which we believe (i) make, or are likely to make, significant contributions to translational medicine, or (ii) help in the critical appraisal of claims made for the clinical utility of genomic advances. With the help of the authors of the seminal work, and in the light of the House of Lords Report, we currently focus on:
(A) Pharmacogenetics (B) Complex multifactorial polygenic diseases
Last updated: 5 July 2011