For those with the genes, the testing empowers the patients to make appropriate lifestyle changes and to plan an effective schedule of regular examinations. Genetic research enables scientists to develop more effective medicines by allowing a more focused attack on the specific cause of disease. Once researchers identify a defective gene, they can then examine the proteins created by the gene. The faulty proteins become targets for new drugs and will help research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies develop better drugs. There are several forms of Alzheimer's disease, each of which may be caused by a different defective gene, says C. Thomas Caskey, former senior vice president for basic research at Merck.
Genetic technology enables scientists to engineer safer and more powerful medicines.
By bringing together different strands of genetic material through laboratory manipulation, scientists can synthesize specific human proteins from cloned human genes. Many proteins used in treating patients, including insulin, hormones and blood factors, are now derived from this technology. These proteins contain fewer impurities, and can be produced in abundance, unlike natural proteins in the body. The new technology allows researchers to modify naturally occurring molecules to give them therapeutic value as medicines. New forms of insulin, for example, take less time to work and can be taken before meals, allowing diabetics to more effectively control hyperglycemia.