The Role of Biomedical Engineering in Personalized Medicine – Innovations and Challenges
Daniel Said
The biomedical engineering community is revolutionizing personalized medicine with individualized medical therapies for life, environment, and gene factors. Unlike traditional “one-fits-all” therapies, personalized medicine optimizes therapy efficiency with reduced side effects (Goetz & Schork). Not withstanding its potential, ethics, high cost, and information security weaknesses prevail (Sedda et al.).
The greatest success in personalized medicine comes in genomic engineering, particularly through tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 and next-generation sequencing (NGS). NGS identifies genetic variants that cause efficacy and toxicity of drugs to change, and generates safer, yet effective, drugs (Walter). CRISPR-Cas9, a gene-engineering tool, possesses potential in repairing disease-related mutations in such disease entities including sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis (MedlinePlus). Not withstanding its potential, ethics surrounding edits in germline and regulative issues prevail (Walter).
Medical imaging, too, plays a significant role in precision diagnostics. Techniques such as fMRI, PET, and computed tomography (CT) scan generate real-time, high-fidelity information about a patient’s biochemistry and physiology (Koçak et al.). AI-facilitated radiomics brings radiography a notch high through discovering predictive trends in a patient’s therapy responsiveness, particularly in cases of oncology. Not withstanding its potential, AI integration involves enormous datasets and raises concerns about information security and algorithm bias (Koçak et al.).
Wearable biosensors, smartwatch and implantable, allow real-time medical supervision in out-clinic environments. They monitor physiologic markers such as heart, blood sugar, and blood oxygenation, and allow early disease prognosis and individualized therapy intervention (LifeSignals). CGM technology changed the face of diabetes care with real-time feedback about blood sugar (Smith et al.). In a similar manner, cardiac biosensors allow early disease symptoms in heart disease, and can potentially avert life-threatening complications (Tandon et al.). In spite of its capabilities, accuracy, battery life, and cybersecurity issue hinder its widespread use (Vo & Trinh).
Impairment of organs and degenerating disease have hope in tissue engineering and regenerating medicine. Biomaterials, stem cells, and 3D bioprinting have developed to a level that allow engineered tissue and even patient-specific organoids with fewer rejection complications (NIBIB & NIH). 3D bioprinting is even discussed for personalized transplantation of epidermis and artificial cartilage (Heinämäki et al.). In spite of its potential, such complications such as engineered tissue vascularization and regulating obstacles must first be addressed (Vikranth et al.).
Although biomedical engineering in personalized care has seen a significant improvement, complications dominate. High cost excludes access, and security issues about information threaten anonymity of a patient (Sedda et al.). Regulatory approval processes for new therapies discourage even newer therapies’ use (MedlinePlus). Overcoming such impediments will allow personalized care for all patients. As biomedical engineering continues to develop, it can possibly redefine future care for years to come.
Want to explore more STEM content? STEMSphere is your one-stop shop for all things Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics! Whether you’re fascinated by new technology, creative solutions, or inspiring stories, we’ve got you covered. Catch our weekly posts with STEM updates and insights, and join a community of innovators around the world. Have an idea to share? Share your own articles via email at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram for a chance to get featured on our platform. With new posts uploaded every week, there’s always something new to discover. Visit our website at sites.google.com/view/stemspherehq or tap the link in our bio to get started. Let’s innovate, inspire, and shape the future—together! For more posts like this, visit @stemsphere_official on Instagram.
Work – Cited
Goetz, Laura H., and Nicholas J. Schork. “Personalized Medicine: Motivation, Challenges, and Progress.” Fertility and Sterility, vol. 109, no. 6, 2018, pp. 952-963, doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.05.006.
Heinämäki, Jyrki, et al. “Plant‐Origin Compounds and Materials for Advancing Bone Tissue Engineering and 3D Bioprinting: Traditional Medicine Aspects and Current Perspectives.” Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, vol. 2025, no. 1, Jan. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1155/term/2812191.
Koçak, Burak, et al. “Radiomics with Artificial Intelligence: A Practical Guide for Beginners.” Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology (Ankara, Turkey), vol. 25, no. 6, 2019, pp. 485-495, doi:10.5152/dir.2019.19321.
LifeSignals. “Wearable Biosensors for Remote Patient Monitoring | LifeSignals.” LifeSignals, 21 Nov. 2024, www.lifesignals.com/wearable-biosensors.
MedlinePlus. What Are Genome Editing and CRISPR-Cas9? MedlinePlus Genetics, medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/genomicresearch/genomeediting.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOMEDICAL IMAGING AND BIOENGINEERING and National Institutes of Health. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. July 2013, www.nibib.nih.gov/sites/default/files/Tissue%20Engineering%20Fact%20Sheet%20508.pdf.
Sedda, Giulia, et al. “Challenges and Innovations in Personalized Medicine Care.” Future Oncology, vol. 15, no. 29, Oct. 2019, pp. 3305–08, https://doi.org/10.2217/fon-2019-0284.
Smith, Aaron Asael, et al. “Reshaping Healthcare With Wearable Biosensors.” Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, Mar. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26951-z.
Tandon, Animesh, et al. “Advancing Wearable Biosensors for Congenital Heart Disease: Patient and Clinician Perspectives: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association.” Circulation, vol. 149, no. 19, Mar. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1161/cir.0000000000001225.
Vikranth, Thirapurasundari, et al. “Decellularisation and Characterisation of Porcine Pleura as Bioscaffolds in Tissue Engineering.” Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, vol. 2024, no. 1, Jan. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/9940673.
Vo, Dang-Khoa, and Kieu Loan Trinh. “Advances in Wearable Biosensors for Healthcare: Current Trends, Applications, and Future Perspectives.” Biosensors, vol. 14, no. 11, Nov. 2024, p. 560, https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14110560.
Walter, Karl. “Genetic Engineering in Pharmacy: Revolutionizing Drug Development and Personalized Medicine.” Pharma Scholars, Jan. 2024, https://doi.org/10.37532/2249-1848.2024.14(1).85.
