point

July - 2014 - issue > CEO Viewpoint

The Use of Technology in the Field of Clinical Research & Its Importance

Dr. Saleem Mohammed, CEO & Co-Founder, XCODE Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Dr. Saleem Mohammed, CEO & Co-Founder, XCODE Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.
Headquartered in Chennai, XCODE provides research in life sciences and cutting edge technology. Founded in 2010, the company has raised a funding of $200,000 from Shead Holdings

Technology is an unalienable aspect of our lives. Looking back, it has contributed to enormous progress in clinical research and healthcare from early diagnosis to lifelong rehabilitation. Some notable examples of technology driven research incorporated into routine healthcare include - CT scanning and MRI imaging, radiation therapies, stenting procedures for coronary heart disease and many more. One of the most talked about technologies of 2014 with a potential to influence health of every individual and radically change the health of the nation is Genomic Technology. The image on the right from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. illustrates how solving technical challenges has reduced the cost of genome sequencing over time. In a span of 6 years, the cost of sequencing a genome has decreased a thousand fold outpacing exponential growth rates. Indeed, no other field has seen such drastic progress in the last 10 years than genomics.

Genomics in the Laboratory

The human genome project, completed in 2001, produced a complete sequence of the human genome and a gold mine of data. This was one of the first steps to include large scale DNA sequence data in clinical research projects, and aided better understanding of the underlying causes of many diseases that were not well understood. Direct implications of genomics in clinical research have now progressed beyond genetic diseases into providing a remarkable tool to better understand cancer, neurodegeneration and infectious diseases among others.

Molecular profiling of several human cancers has already been achieved. This field of cancer biology has now moved on to clinical trials matching the type of cancer to a drug that is most effective and safe to combat and kill that tumor. Similarly, in case of infectious diseases, evolving field of full genome profiling of invading microorganisms opens up a host of new therapeutic targets including effective vaccinations and even ways of preventing disease epidemics.


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