Dr. Andreea Cătană: “The true power of genetics does not consist of creating” superheroes “, but in giving each patient a better chance of health”
Regina Maria supports the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF), edition 24.
Genetically modified people are a recurrent theme of movies science fiction. And, often, their representation in the cinema brings into question deep topics, as fear of such genetic manipulations and their moral implications, as is the case, for example, in the well -known “Blade Runner” movie). In reality, however, genetics is today a medical branch with extraordinary benefits for patients.
“One of the most common fears (related to human geneticsă) It is that we will get to “design” people at will – with chosen features, increased intelligence or unusual physical strength. This kind of scenarios are often fed by SF films, but the scientific reality is much more nuanced ”explains Dr. Andreea Cătană, primary physician in medical genetics and doctor in medical sciences within the health network Regina Maria Cluj-Napoca.
“First of all, human genetics does not work as an option menu – most features are influenced by several genetic and environmental factors. Secondly, in medical practice, genetics has a deep human purpose: prevention of diseases, early diagnosis and personalized treatments. The true power of genetics does not consist in creating a” super -health “,stresses Dr. Andreea Cătană.
Genetic tests, the key to personalized medicine today
Within Queen Maria, genetic medicine opens wide possibilities not only for high accuracy diagnosis, but for personalized treatments, through the latest genetic tests that patients have access to. These allow a “look” in the own genetic code of each individual, discovering valuable information about predispositions to certain diseases, about how each patient processes nutrients, the body response to drugs and not only.
Nutrigenetics, for example, studies how each one interacts with nutrients in food and influences the diet response. Each person has a unique genetic profile, which determines how it processes and metabolizes different nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. The nutrigenetic test analyzes certain genetic variants associated with nutrient metabolism, insulin sensitivity, food intolerance and other nutrition aspects. The results of this test can be used to create a personalized diet, adapted to individual genetic needs.
What follows for medical genetics and genetic tests in the future? “The genome of each patient will be able to guide clinical decisions just before the disease appears”
Medical genetics is considered the future of personalized medical treatments, and the expectations of the specialists are very high, being anticipated significant changes in the next decade.
“A major tendency is the integration of artificial intelligence in genomic analysis. In the future, it is very possible that you will become an indispensable partner in interpreting genetic data – accelerating the discovery of relevant mutations and recommending personalized treatments with an impossible precision today. Practically, we will come to talk about predictive medicine the disease to appear ”concludes Dr. Andreea Cătană.
30 as in movies: Queen Maria to TIFF 24
The film “Blade Runner“(1982) is part of this year’s program of TIFF 24, within the section”Tomorrow is Fear“During this year’s edition of the festival, under the umbrella” 30 in movies “, the Queen Maria’s health network celebrates 30 years of medical excellence, pioneer in technology and premiere in Romania, but also a new stage in its evolution-Queen Maria 3.0, on the occasion of an edition of the festival that brings to the center.
Queen Maria loves TIFF since 2014, being a constant partner of the community in Cluj and of the film lovers and creating with each edition a bridge between the passion for cinema and health care.
