Authors : Edara Amulya; Ravi Divya Lakshmi

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 2 - February

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2s466n94

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/yu3j58jj

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14915630

Abstract : Precision medicine represents a transformative approach to healthcare, focusing on customizing treatments for specific subpopulations who share a common susceptibility to certain diseases or exhibit similar responses to particular drugs. While the concept traces back to the era of Sir William Osler, it gained renewed momentum through the Precision Medicine Initiative, launched by Barack Obama in 2015. This approach leverages Big Data, artificial intelligence, multiple omics fields, pharmaco-omics, and various environmental and social factors, integrating these elements with preventive and population health strategies. Big Data in precision medicine is largely derived from electronic health records, capturing diverse biomarkers (including clinical and omics-based data), laboratory tests, and radiology results. Analyzing these datasets through machine learning allows the creation of tailored algorithms to guide the treatment of specific patient subgroups. This marks a significant shift from the traditional “one-size-fits-all” model to a more individualized, precision-based approach. Research in "omics" has made rapid strides, with substantial advancements in genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics. The field of pharmaco-omics, which involves developing drugs tailored to particular subpopulations, has also gained prominence. This targeted approach minimizes the risk of prescribing drugs to non-responders, reduces adverse effects, and proves cost-effective over time. In managing complex diseases, environmental, social, and behavioral factors are often as crucial—if not more so—than genetic factors, making them integral to precision medicine. Ultimately, integrating precision medicine with preventive and public health initiatives is expected to transform the way healthcare is delivered. Precision medicine empowers healthcare providers to move beyond treatment recommendations based on general evidence, enabling them to make decisions that reflect an individual’s unique characteristics. It supports clinicians in delivering highly personalized care, opening new avenues for discoveries that were previously unattainable. This review covers the evolution, methodologies, clinical applications, and limitations of precision medicine, underscoring its potential to optimize healthcare outcomes.

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