Genetic Screening and Big Data’s Influence on Drug Production and Biomarker Identification
The Human Genome Project (HGP) was largely successful in its goal to identify the genetic blueprint of life. The scientific community has begun to translate this genetic information to identify new potential therapeutic targets. Further progress may be possible by continuing to screen patients and identifying subsets from a larger disease population that have increased frequency or severity of the disease. These patients may be carrying a mutation (or mutations) that exacerbate the disease. These screens are useful predictors towards what genes correspond to what disease and also help to identify potential biomarkers that could be targeted for therapeutic use.