Watching biology in action

Advances in positron emission tomography are providing detailed images of biological processes in small animals that promise breakthroughs in molecular medicine. The sequencing of the human genome, along with other advances in the fields of molecular biology, genomics and proteomics, is leading to the discovery of large numbers of genes and proteins. Many of these are implicated in human disease and are therefore possible targets for drug development. We are all eagerly awaiting the new era of molecular medicine, when drugs are precisely tailored to our specific genetic or molecular profile, and when diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's can be treated easily without side effects. (U.K.)