What are molecular diagnostics?
Molecular diagnosis can be widely defined as measurement of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), proteins or other metabolites to detect certain genotypes, mutations or biochemical changes that can be associated with certain conditions of health or disease. Molecular diagnosis is caused by progress in biology that has led to understanding the mechanisms of normal and disease processes at the molecular level. Before this understanding, many disease states were diagnosed from morphological observations.
The first widely used molecular tests were for infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and C or human papillomavirus (HPV), and this is still the largest market for molecular diagnostics. Some other fields such as molecular oncology tests, inherited states, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders and forensic testing are rapidly growing areas of interest. In addition, the Molecular diagnostics of the USED to monitor the patient's response to K canOn a specific drug treatment.
Many different biological techniques fall under the umbrella "molecular diagnostics". One of the most common techniques is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a method of producing a large number of specifically defined DNA or RNA fragments, which can then be used for more purposes, including identification of pathogen and detection of aberrant gene expression associated with certain diseases. PCR fragments can also be sequenced to detect genes associated with certain disease conditions, such as detection of mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are often associated with an increased risk of hereditary breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Another widely used technique is cytogenetic analysis, which involves exploring chromosomes for diagnosis or screening for certain genetic diseases or abnormalities. This technique is often used in oncology. Using known genetic markers is possible de deto flow the presence of cancer cells in the biological sample. Moreover, cytogenetic analysis of tumor samples can often provide information about tumor aggressiveness or probability of tumor recurrence. Cytogenetic analysis is also useful in prenatal genetic testing to test a specific congenital defect or chromosomal abnormality in the fetus.
The most anticipated development of molecular diagnosis is the concept of personalized medicine, which concerns the ability to adapt the treatment plan specially individuals based on its genetic make -up. This would identify patients who can respond well to a particular medicine and help avoid the adverse effects of the drug. In addition, the risk of a person for a particular disease would determine before developing the disease. This concept is already used to some extent to identify people who are susceptible to some gene disseses, such as cystic fibrosis, certain cancer and Alzheimer's disease.