Metric - Artificial Nocturne
The body is full of human cells which contains the genetic code (DNA) of that particular individual. Not every gene is expressed (RNA) and/or translated (protein) in every cell, which is the ultimate determinant of the functioning (phenotype) of a particular cell. Bioengineering techniques are nearing a point where scientists can efficiently, and safely, reprogram differentiated cells back into an undifferentiated state called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Using knowledge gained from studying the transcriptomes (RNA) and proteomes (protein) of specific cells, as well as research on the particular signalling factors and microenvironment conditions necessary for proper functioning of tissue-specific cells, it is possible to use iPSCs to re-establish patient-specific diseases in a dish to study the efficacy of different treatments. As Nina Tandon mentions in her excellent TED talk, this 'disease-in-a-dish' technology has the potential to improve patient outcomes and cheapen care costs, and also provides a valuable resource for modeling and studying diseases which may (and likely do) have different pathologies in different people.
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