RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Post-genome integrative biology: so that's what they call clinical science
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 393
OP 400
DO 10.7861/clinmedicine.1-5-393
VO 1
IS 5
A1 Jonathan Rees
YR 2001
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/1/5/393.abstract
AB Medical science is increasingly dominated by slogans, a characteristic reflecting its growing bureaucratic and corporate structure. Chief amongst these slogans is the idea that genomics will transform the public health. I believe this view is mistaken. Using studies of the genetics of skin cancer and the genetics of skin pigmentation, I describe how recent discoveries have contributed to our understanding of these topics and of human evolution. I contrast these discoveries with insights gained from other approaches, particularly those based on clinical studies. The ‘IKEA model of medical advance’ - you just do the basic science in the laboratory and self-assemble in the clinic - is not only damaging to clinical advance, but reflects a widespread ignorance about the nature of disease and how clinical discovery arises. We need to think more about disease and less about genes; more in the clinic and less in the laboratory.