Systembiologin kan förändra sjukvården radikalt: Ger underlag för individualiserad prediktion, prevention och behandling

Common diseases like allergy, autoimmunity and cancer are complex, i.e. caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors. Using high-throughput methods all genes and their products affecting common disease symptoms and causes can be studied simultaneously. The challenge lies in understanding the complex interactions of genes and their products that underlie these diseases. The goal of clinical systems biology is to provide a theoretical framework to understand physiology and disease at the level of molecular pathways, regulatory networks, cells, tissues, organs and ultimately the whole organism. This has already yielded practical clinical applications, such as individualized medication of cancer. In the coming decade systems biological research may have great clinical impact, not only to individualize medication but also to develop new drugs. This article provides an introduction to new technologies to study diseases at a genome-wide scale, as well as systems biolog ical principles to interpret the data for possible clinical applications.