Monday, 10th April 2006 (4392 views)

A team of physicists at the University of California, San Diego have completed a study that could result in personalised genome-based medicinal techniques becoming a reality.

The method of nanotechnology that has been shown to work will give scientists renewed hope that this cheaper and faster process will herald the latest developments in medical treatment.

By using tiny gold electrodes to detect the unique electronic signatures of each DNA strand as it passes through a small opening known as a nanopore, the team of scientists were able to quickly and easily distinguish one set of DNA from another.

Massimiliano Di Ventra, an associate professor of physics at the university and director of the project, said: "Current DNA sequencing methods are too slow and expensive for it to be realistic to sequence people's genomes to tailor medical treatments for each individual.

"The practical implementation of our approach could make the dream of personalizing medicine according to a person's unique genetic makeup a reality," he explained.

The scientists are not yet convinced this is a viable option for the future due to certain problems with configuring the electrodes and the nanopores, which are produced separately before being used together.

However, the physicists are optimistic it has promise due to the speed with which advances are being made in the field and the reduced error rate the technique will ultimately yield.

 

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