Experts: Genetics next medical frontier

By Amy Olson • Wausau Daily Herald • October 10, 2008 MARSHFIELD — The key to understanding, preventing and treating disease lies in genetics, according to a panel of seven experts convened Thursday at Marshfield Clinic. It could take five to 10 years before patients see potential treatments, said Dr. Howard Jacob, a professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa. But he likened the potential genetics has for medicine to putting computer chips in cars. “The way you knew a car was sick was it broke down,” Jacob said. Analyzing a person’s genes could help predict illness and determine treatments. The panel, moderated by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Louis Sullivan, was part of a three-day event celebrating the dedication of the Laird Center for Medical Research at Marshfield Clinic. The new $43 million center will... [read full story]