Biotechnology Applications. In the contemporary world of Science, technological advancements in every field have become the order of the day. An important scientific addition to the area of medicine is the biotechnology. Such is the case since most of the recent advancements owe their existence to this component of science, which has proven to be useful concerning the contribution it has had on the medical world at large.
Notable examples of its vitality include but not limited to biopharmaceuticals, genetic testing, and gene therapy. All these have made the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illnesses easier and better as compared to the pre-biotechnology era. As such, an evaluation of the current or future applications of this field is central to the understanding of how it has managed to become an important component of medicine. In essence, an analysis of this kind through the citation of real word examples is the focus of this discussion.
To begin with, it is beyond doubt that biotechnology has had a fair share of contribution to the medical world. A case in point is the introduction of the genetic testing, which has received much praise from all social quarters. Currently, medicine profits from this progression in genetic engineering. For instance, it is possible to use strains of the DNA of an individual to match it with the mutated sequence in the determination of paternity, detection of genetic disease and screening of carriers of conditions such as sickle cell disease(Katsanis&Katsanis, 2013). With such a development, the value that biotechnology adds to medicine is beyond question.
Besides, utilization of the biopharmaceuticals is another example of how biotechnology has been a useful element in the medical world. In this type of technological development, medicine has made forward strides in the generation of drugs that are chemical-free because they rely on living organisms like microorganisms to the development of new drug formulas(Moscovici, 2015). Furthermore, on this front, scientists are on the verge of coming up with drugs that will be useful in the treatment of hepatitis, heart disease and cancer with minimal or no side effects as the chemically formulated ones. Evidently, from these instances, it is indispensable that biotechnology is the best when it comes to revolutionizing the healthcare sector.
Lastly, biotechnology has also become a leading contributor of new ways of treating and diagnosing diseases such as Cancer and Parkinsonism. Such has been possible through the introduction of gene therapy. A progression of this kind utilizes healthy gene cells to either destroy or substitute the damaged cells of the host suffering from the stated disease. Without a doubt, this gives a new way of treating these diseases(Nakagami&Morishita, 2013). Thus, a clear depiction of the benefits that comes with this progression.
In conclusion, indeed, biotechnology has been a total revelation to the medical world. Such is the case due to its role in revolutionizing and expanding the range of activities that are now at the disposal of the medical personnel. Real world examples that are befitting to this regard are genetic testing, biopharmaceuticals, and gene therapy. Such new therapeutic approaches have come at the most opportune time since before their arrival many things were not easy to accomplish. For example, it is hard to establish the paternity of a child back then, but currently, that is non-existent due to the presence of genetic testing. Clearly, in overall terms, the uncertainty of whether biotechnology is the real deal or not is beyond question. Instead, the focus should be on what more it can offer since it is apparent that the present and future success of medicine field depends heavily on biotechnology.
References
Katsanis, S. &Katsanis, N. (2013).Molecular genetic testing and the future of clinical genomics. Nature Reviews Genetics, 14(6), 415-426. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrg3493
Moscovici, M. (2015).Present and future medical applications of microbial exopolysaccharides. Front. Microbiol., 6. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.01012
Nakagami, H. &Morishita, R. (2013).Gene therapy: technologies and applications. Gene Therapy: Technologies & Applications, 2-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/ebo.12.143
