Although one of the aims of Molecular Therapy is to describe and promote novel personalized therapies, some people are beginning to conclude that the concept of personalized medicine (PM) is merely a marketing tool to increase patient referrals and bolster grant funding. However, there are unquestionable and genuine medical and scientific underpinnings of PM that should improve both the outcome and the cost-effectiveness of disease treatment. Part of the increasing distrust arises because the term "personalized medicine" means different things to different people, with a consequent mismatch between expectations and delivery. In reality, PM can improve three overlapping but distinguishable clinical areas: practice, prognosis and treatment. It is to the last of these that gene and cell therapy has most to contribute.
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