The goal of predictive medicine is the detection of changes in patient's state prior to the clinical manifestation of the deterioration of the patients current status. Therefore, both the diagnostic of diseases like cancer, coronary atherosclerosis or congenital heart failure and the prognosis of the effect specific therapeutics on patients outcome are the main fields of predictive medicine. Clinical Cytomcs is based on the analysis of specimens from the patient by Cytomic technologies that are mainly imaging based techniques and their combinations with other assays. Predictive medicine aims at the recognition of the "fate" of each individual patients in order to yield unequivocal indications for decision making (i.e. how does the patient respond to therapy, react to medication etc.). This individualized prediction is based on the Predictive Medicine by Clinical Cytomics concept. These considerations have recently stimulated the idea of the Human Cytome Project. A major focus of the Human Cytome Project is multiplexed cy-tomic analysis of individual cells of the patient, extraction of predictive information and individual prediction that merges into individualized therapy. Although still at the beginning, Clinical Cytomics is a promising new field that may change therapy in the near future for the benefit of the patients.

Date Published: 21 February 2006
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 6088, Imaging, Manipulation, and Analysis of Biomolecules, Cells, and Tissues IV, 60880K (21 February 2006); doi: 10.1117/12.645024

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6088:
Imaging, Manipulation, and Analysis of Biomolecules, Cells, and Tissues IV
Daniel L. Farkas; Dan V. Nicolau; Robert C. Leif, Editor(s)