Specially Bred Mice May Hold Keys to Personalized Medicine
A panel of 36 mice could finally deliver the long-unfulfilled promise of personalized medicine.
The mice were specially bred to match the genetic makeup of most human genetic profiles, and should help scientists determine which drugs are dangerous — or more effective — for individuals before they reach the market.
“Imagine someone discovers a compound that prevents cancer,” said Jackson Laboratory geneticist Ken Paigen. “But suppose that in addition to preventing cancer, it has serious adverse effects in some percentage of the population. You’d sure like to know who could and who couldn’t use it.”
Personalized medicine promises to prevent some of those complications. Some custom treatments have slowly emerged in recent years. But Paigen and his colleagues say their 36 mice could open the floodgates. Taken together, the mouse panel roughly covers all the genetic variation in the human race. (Read More)
