Nuclear medicine in the post-genomic era

The underlying precepts by which medicine operates will be changed forever by the elucidation of the human genomic sequence. The possibility of using limited forms of genetic engineering are present and beset by ethical considerations. However the use of genetic material in both aiding diagnosing disease and helping our understanding of disease processes is being rapidly diffused into clinical medicine. As the only method available for the study of function in vivo, Nuclear Medicine is ideally suited to act as a bridge between the work in the biotechnology laboratory and the patient. This short review will look at some of the issues raised by the this new horizon in medicine and how it will impact on our practice