Molecular medicine

Molecular medicine applies molecular biology and genetics to understanding disease mechanisms and developing ways to diagnose, prevent, and treat disease.

Connect

Molecular diagnostics: Diagnostic methods that detect or measure molecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, or metabolites. It turns molecular changes associated with disease into measurable diagnostic evidence.
Molecular pathogenesis: The molecular events and interactions that cause or sustain disease. It links changes in molecules to the development and progression of illness.
Polymerase chain reaction: A laboratory method that amplifies selected DNA sequences. It makes small amounts of disease-associated DNA easier to detect and analyze.
Anatomical pathology: The diagnosis of disease through examination of organs, tissues, and cells. It emphasizes structural changes that molecular tests may explain or refine.
Pharmacogenomics: The study of how genetic variation affects responses to medicines. It uses genetic differences to help predict drug response and guide treatment choices.
Mutation: A change in the nucleotide sequence of genetic material. Mutations can alter gene function and create molecular causes of disease.
DNA sequencing: The determination of the order of nucleotide bases in DNA. It reveals genetic variants that may contribute to disease or guide care.
Clinical pathology: The diagnosis of disease through laboratory analysis of blood, fluids, and other specimens. It often measures broad physiological markers rather than disease-specific molecular changes.
Gene therapy: Treatment that modifies, replaces, or regulates genetic material in a patient's cells. It applies molecular understanding directly by changing disease-related genetic instructions.
Gene expression: The processes by which information in a gene is used to produce functional RNA or protein. Changes in expression can disrupt cell behavior even when DNA sequence is unchanged.