TY - JOUR
T1 - Perspectives on Translational Genomics and Public Health in India
AU - Chakrabarty, Sanjiban
AU - Kabekkodu, Shama Prasada
AU - Brand, Angela
AU - Satyamoorthy, Kapaettu
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - It is now recognized worldwide that anticipation and prevention of diseases have significant advantages for the health and healthy ageing of the population. Early recognition of the disease in a vulnerable population such as in children aged 60 years enhances our preparedness for any eventualities and future burden of the diseases to society. It is also recognized that current public health practices alone cannot bring about the desired outcome. When tackling public health-related issues, such problems must be recognized and state-of-the-art principles and innovations from genomic sciences, information technologies, and medical specialties must be encompassed and embraced. These will enhance strategies for preparedness and provide us with a better understanding of how to identify, manage, and control disease burdens. The ever expanding landscape of genomics research also includes experimental and computational approaches for effectively utilizing DNA sequence information. From these perspectives, the intricacies of Mendelian single gene disorders are the least challenging compared to intricacies of multi-dimensional host factors for infectious diseases or complex disorders such as cancer. The concepts of public health in India are on firm footing; however, integration of contemporary advances to implement public health principles into practice has neither been attempted nor impacted on disease burden or our preparedness to prevent eventualities. At the same time, translational genomics is gradually paving the way for personalized medicine. Principles of personalized medicine remain to be fully understood and practiced despite the pharmacogenomics-based future of drug development, and treatment has not been as exciting as the advances in genomics we are witnessing today. The relevance, importance, and translational impediments of these advances will be discussed.
AB - It is now recognized worldwide that anticipation and prevention of diseases have significant advantages for the health and healthy ageing of the population. Early recognition of the disease in a vulnerable population such as in children aged 60 years enhances our preparedness for any eventualities and future burden of the diseases to society. It is also recognized that current public health practices alone cannot bring about the desired outcome. When tackling public health-related issues, such problems must be recognized and state-of-the-art principles and innovations from genomic sciences, information technologies, and medical specialties must be encompassed and embraced. These will enhance strategies for preparedness and provide us with a better understanding of how to identify, manage, and control disease burdens. The ever expanding landscape of genomics research also includes experimental and computational approaches for effectively utilizing DNA sequence information. From these perspectives, the intricacies of Mendelian single gene disorders are the least challenging compared to intricacies of multi-dimensional host factors for infectious diseases or complex disorders such as cancer. The concepts of public health in India are on firm footing; however, integration of contemporary advances to implement public health principles into practice has neither been attempted nor impacted on disease burden or our preparedness to prevent eventualities. At the same time, translational genomics is gradually paving the way for personalized medicine. Principles of personalized medicine remain to be fully understood and practiced despite the pharmacogenomics-based future of drug development, and treatment has not been as exciting as the advances in genomics we are witnessing today. The relevance, importance, and translational impediments of these advances will be discussed.
KW - Genetics
KW - India
KW - Public health
KW - Translational genomics
U2 - 10.1159/000442518
DO - 10.1159/000442518
M3 - Article
C2 - 26683060
SN - 1662-4246
VL - 19
SP - 61
EP - 68
JO - Public Health Genomics
JF - Public Health Genomics
IS - 2
ER -