Molecular Biomarkers & Diagnosis

Biochemistry of Nutritional Sciences

Abstract

Helena Jenzer and Leila Sadeghi

Biochemistry provides knowledge about commonality principles, explains particularities of individuals, and discloses targets for therapeutic approaches. Although common biochemical pathways have been conserved during evolution, and although molecules and pathways have been generated based on existing ones, a one-fitsall medicine is about to be more and more replaced by personalized medicine. The declared objective of personalized medicine is to either predict a person’s risks for developing a disease or to treat a patient according to his or her metabolic predisposition and capacity, genetic mutations, or polymorphisms. The genotype of a person can hint at imminent risks and prevent the outbreak of diseases if lifestyle or behavior is changed according to the risk profile. The phenotype does not only describe proteins, enzymes and metabolites from the expression of the person’s genes, but provides data to recognize patterns belonging to an existing or eventually silent disease which can be treated effectively.