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Many diseases have a root cause at the genetic level: cancer(s), Alzheimer's, hypertension, diabetes, etc. Although it will still take years to understand much of the genetic signatures for these diseases, once understood it (might) be possible to start early treatment to manage the disease or even prevent it from occurring (fix the bad gene with a good gene, e use of stem cells). Many drugs appear to work on specific gene signatures and don't work on others. Drug companies today archive patient samples in order to understand the gene signatures for patients that the drug is effective/not effective/lethal. Analysis of these samples is by in large waiting for a high throughput, INEXPENSIVE sequencing technology to allow the processing of these samples. If a clinical trial involves a 1000 people, and analysis cost $1000 or more/person these trials become prohibitively expensive. Drugs that fail clinical trials in the general population are found which work on a subset and can be rescued.
How'd I do Curly?
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