Which field integrates the study of DNA with the practice of medicine? The correct response to that inquiry is medical genetics, as well as the other professional titles that are associated with this field. Clinical geneticists, genetic counselors, and clinical laboratory geneticists are a few examples of these types of professionals. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), congenital malformations, and prenatal diagnosis are just a few of the genetic diseases that these trained experts treat in their patients. let’s discuss Which career combines DNA technology and medicine?
What exactly is meant by “Medical Genetics”?
In response to the question “Which career combines DNA technology and medicine?” the field of medicine known as medical genetics is the subspecialty of medicine that focuses on the treatment and diagnosis of inherited illnesses. It entails doing research as well as providing clinical treatment about this topic.
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Here are some jobs that blend DNA technology and medicine and have to do with medical genetics.
Clinicians who study genes
A clinical geneticist reads the results of clinical tests and makes a conclusion based on them. Here are some tests that a clinical geneticist looks at to make a diagnosis: Carriers are people who have a family history of a certain genetic trait and want to know if it can be passed on to their children at birth. Prenatal diagnosis is when a mother wants to confirm a DNA diagnosis after an ultrasound shows that the baby has something wrong with it. Down syndrome is a common genetic disorder that can be found with this kind of test.
Screening babies right after they are born is called “newborn screening.” After getting a blood sample from a child, it runs several tests to look for problems in the baby’s body. This is how it has to be done in the U.S. and in most of the rest of the world, too. Pharmacogenomic testing is done to find out how fast a drug is expected to be broken down. With this test, the doctor will be able to see how certain drugs might affect a patient.Â
Warfarin is a common medicine given to people who need this test. This is the typical DNA test that most people have heard about. It is used to find out who someone is and check for paternity cases. The police also use this test to find a person’s DNA and track them down.
1. Geneticists who work in labs
The above tests are done by a clinical laboratory geneticist who takes blood samples and other DNA samples.
2. Counselors in genetics
Genetic counselors help people figure out how to treat a disease or condition based on what a scientist says about it. A counselor’s job is to teach a patient about the illness and how it came to be. They are the ones who can tell people how to treat signs and take care of a health problem.
3. Nurse Genetic
A genetic nurse is in charge of gathering data that can be used to figure out how likely a disease is to happen, whether it is caused by genes or not. The doctor will then use that information to make an evaluation and decide if a patient’s problem can be passed on to their children. Nurses who specialize in genetics are also responsible for keeping thorough medical backgrounds.
DNA Technology in Medicine: Pros and Cons?
There are many ways that DNA technology can be used in medicine. Genetic engineering, which is also called hybrid DNA, is one way. It takes DNA from different species and makes new DNA molecules that can be used in health, farming, and science.
Vaccines can also be made with the help of DNA technology. Vaccines are made to trick our bodies into thinking they are fighting a safe version of a virus. This way, when the real, dangerous version of the virus gets into you, your body will be ready to fight it.
Insulin and human growth hormone are two examples of these kinds of things. Insulin is given to people with diabetes, and human growth hormone is given to people with dwarfism so that their bodies have the right amount of hormones.
On top of that, the company MicroGenDX just did some groundbreaking study on how to treat urinary tract infections. Here are some pros and cons:
Pros
- Compared to protein vaccines, they are cheap to make.
- More effective at getting antibodies to react.
- More effective at making T-cell reactions, which successfully target cancer cells or cells that bacteria or viruses are trying to attack.
- DNA vaccines tend to get FDA approval faster than other vaccines.
Cons
- Changes can be made to the genes that control how cells grow.
- There is a chance that the body will build up a resistance to the antigen.
- Protein immunogens will be minimal.
FAQ | Which career combines DNA technology and medicine?
What job uses both DNA science and?
Agricultural biotechnology is a job or business that blends DNA technology and farming. This is done to make and improve genetically improved and changed plant genotypes that are resistant to environmental and biological stressors and have a high output.
What is one way that DNA science and health can be used?
DNA technology is important in medicine because it can be used to make vaccines, safe proteins, or versions of pathogens that are meant to make the immune system work. It can also be used to make medicines like insulin and figure out what’s wrong with people who have genetic diseases like Huntington’s.
What will happen next with DNA technology?
Gene treatment will be one of these new tools. Genes that make normal things will be used to change genes that make bad things. Genes that stop working properly over time will be fixed. We will also be able to turn genes on and off to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, and other diseases that get worse over time.