Translational bioinformatics is a newly emerging field of informatics which defines as the development and application of informatics methods to optimize the transformation of increasingly massive biomedical data into practicable knowledge and novel technologies which can improve human health and diseases. There is a tremendous progress in scientific discovery since the foundation of double helix structure. However, it has not translated much into practical health benefit and has become a rate-limiting step for clinical application. Such phenomenon could be due to several barriers, one of which is the connection of molecular entities to clinical entities. There is a paradigm shift in biology where programs are focused upon the development and delivery of genomic and personalized medicine therefore the need for high-throughput and integrative approaches to assemble, manage and analyse the rapidly growing heterogeneous data sets has become imperative (Altman, 2012). As the world is in a new generation of information age, the incorporation of informatics into scientific studies becomes inevitable, leading to the development, advancement and application of translational bioinformatics. This essay will discuss the extent to which the development of translational bioinformatics in medical field can be the next game changer in medicine.
Translational bioinformatics have been greatly utilized in various newly emerging fields, for instances, biomarkers, systems biology and pharmacogenomics. The studies of biomarkers, systems biology and pharmacogenomics enable comprehensive understanding of diseases and empower scientists and clinicians to design individualized strategies to bring the right drugs with the right dosages to the right people ...
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... are limitations, for instance, some data are not in sync, as it is still a growing field. However these limitations could be overcome in near future and translational bioinformatics can soon be the next game changer of medicine. However, the success of medical strategies is the overall effort of each functional domain as they are interconnected. Without ones contribution, provision of optimal medical treatment would not be easy or even impossible.
Works Cited
Altman, R. B. (2012). Introduction to Translational Bioinformatics Collection. In PLOS Computational Biology: Translational Bioinformatics (Vol. 8). doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002796
Yan, Q. (2010). Translational Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Approaches for Personalized Medicine. In Systems Biology in Drug Discovery and Development (Vol. 662, pp. 167-178). Humana Press. doi:10.1007/978-1-60761-800-3_8
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Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine. Science, 196(4286), 129–136.
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Engel, G. L. (1977). A Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine. Science , 196, 129-136.
Miller, K. R., & Levine, J. S. (2010). Miller & Levine biology. Boston, Mass: Pearson
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Cain, M. L., Urry, L. A., & Reece, J. B. (2010). Campbell Biology. Benjamin Cummings.
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