In recent years, the field of biotechnology has witnessed groundbreaking advancements, particularly in the field of precision biotherapeutics. This innovative approach to medicine focuses on tailoring treatments to individual patients based on their genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. By integrating advanced biotechnology, genomics, and bioinformatics, precision biotherapeutics promises to revolutionize how we treat Intricate illnesses like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and genetic conditions.

Precision biotherapeutics also called as precision medicine, is the process of utilizing genomics and disciplines to create drugs targeted for specific patients. Compared to conventional generalized pharmaceutical treatments, precision biotherapeutics is a holistic approach that considers patient’s genotype and phenotype, for more personalized outcome.

Case Study 1:-
The human genome project that was completed in 2003, provided scientists with the roadmap that lead to the development of the concept of precision medicine. Since then, an evolution in the methodologies in sequencing and bioinformatics has led to a greater comprehension of disease at the molecular level. Precision biotherapeutics goes further than this by creating medicines that attack certain molecules or processes implicated in a disease giving it a better advantage at treating the disorder than an ordinary approach.

Genomics is a crucial factor for precision biotherapeutics. Next generation sequencing (NGS), CRISPR, technologies have now brought the ability to sequence an individuals total genetic makeup at a much faster pace and reduced costs. It also makes it easy for the researchers to discover the genetic mutations which could possibly lead to diseases and other damaging variations.
NGS:- NGS allows researchers to rapidly sequence a patient’s genome, identifying mutations and variations that could impact treatment decisions. This technology has enabled the identification of actionable mutations in cancer, for instance, which can be targeted with specific drugs.
CRISPR:-CRISPR, a revolutionary gene-editing technology, allows scientists to modify genes with high precision. This technology is being explored for therapeutic purposes, such as correcting genetic mutations that cause diseases. For example, CRISPR-based therapies are being developed for conditions like sickle cell anemia where a single genetic mutation is responsible for the disease.

APPLICATIONS
One of the most successful applications of precision biotherapeutics has been in oncology. Drugs like trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) are designed to target specific molecular markers in cancer cells, resulting in more effective treatments with fewer side effects. For example, trastuzumab targets the HER2 receptor in breast cancer patients with HER2-positive tumors, leading to significantly improved outcomes compared to traditional chemotherapy.

Case Study 2:-
A 48 year old female with ‘Metastatic Breast Cancer’ was positive for the HER2 factor which stimulates the growth of the tumour. She was given trastuzumab (Herceptin), a sort of targeted therapy which aims at working against the HER2 receptor. In combination with chemotherapy, the precise administration of biotherapeutic agents slowed cancer progression and greatly boosted her survival probability with much fewer side effects most cancer patients experience after conventional treatments.

Precision biotherapeutics has significant potential for the further development of the field; however, it also has certain issues. This is due to the fact that human genome is highly labyrinthine, and studies in genomics produce huge amounts of data. Interpretation and analysis of this data are complex, involving using bioinformatics applications that are more advanced forms of computation.
Furthermore, some of the precise treatments that are developed from precision biotherapeutics are expensive to afford by most patients. Putting into question the possibility of how people of all classes can get access to these enhanced treatments is something that needs to be looked at to fully unlock the benefit of precision biotherapeutics.

However, the prospects of precision biotherapeutics are quite good. This means that as technologies such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), CRISPR and Artificial Intelligence and others advance, the capability to design even more discriminate and efficacious treatments will be possible. As research and development in this field continues, precision biotherapeutics will probably be a key player in changing the face of personalized medicine where patient receive the most effective drugs that have minimal side effects.

Arin Das

University/College name : Centurion University of Technology and Management