Editorial Features

  With several different subtypes, causes and therapies, diagnosing and managing diabetes have become a complicated problem. Precision medicine could hold the answer. Diabetes is a serious issue in Singapore, where 400,000 people suffer from the chronic disease. By 2030, however, that number is set to increase by 50 percent to 600,0001, driven by changing […]

  Singapore’s Undiagnosed Disease Program is leveraging genomic sequencing technology to provide a diagnosis to more patients, helping end their diagnostic odysseys. More than 350 million people around the world suffer from one of more than 6,000 known rare diseases.[1] For many of these patients and their families, the journey to discovering the underlying cause, […]

  Precision diagnostics could help detect gastric cancer early, buying patients crucial time to seek life-saving treatments. Every year, around 300 Singaporeans lose the battle against gastric cancer.1 This number is particularly tragic because gastric cancer can be treated—when caught early. The reality, however, is that most patients only find out when it is already […]

Armed with cutting-edge technologies, scientists have assembled the first-ever gapless sequence of the entire human genome, providing new DNA puzzle pieces for precision medicine to probe. After more than a decade of research and nearly US$3 billion dollars, scientists triumphantly announced the sequencing of the human genome in 2003. Since then, the landmark Human Genome […]

Other pieces of the Precision Medicine puzzle Besides your genes, what else affects your health? Here, we guide you through ‘omics approaches for investigating disease and advancing precision medicine. Previously, we saw how your DNA can impact health and disease. As important as it is, genomics alone won’t capture the full picture of all the […]

It may be commonly inherited and potentially life-threatening, but familial hypercholesterolemia remains an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. Precision medicine could change that. Mei Yen was just 21 when she started getting occasional chest pains. At the time, she still thought of cardiovascular disease as an affliction that only pertained to the old and overweight. Nevertheless, […]

Laying the Scientific Groundwork A robust data-sharing framework based on sound scientific principles needs to be in place before Singapore can realise the full potential of precision medicine, says PRECISE CSO John Chambers. Almost a third of all deaths in Singapore have their roots in cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease or stroke. Given the […]

  From Fruit Fly Scientist to Founder of a Biotech Start-up Spurred by his desire to impact human health, Professor Liu Jianjun reflects on his career in precision medicine, which has recently been recognised with the 2020 President’s Science Award. The fields of genetics and genomics have exploded since the landmark Human Genome Project began […]

Precision medicine promises to revolutionise the way healthcare is delivered, transforming it from a one-size-fits-all approach to something more tailored. Here are specific examples of how precision medicine is already making an impact and how it could help better predict, prevent, treat and manage health conditions for all.

  A deep dive into the genomes of Singapore’s three major Asian ethnic groups holds the promise to wide-ranging implications for precision medicine across the globe. When perusing the label on a drug packet, you will likely be presented with two dose recommendations: one for adults and one for children. While you may find that […]