[Personalized medicine 2011].

Molecular and cell biology have not only greatly advanced our understanding of the pathogenesis of numerous human diseases but at the same time contributed to their diagnosis, therapy and prevention. Based on modern genetic as well as epigenetic and biochemical analyses it is possible to identify on the one hand point mutations and single nucleotide polymporphisms (SNPs) as well as epigenetic modifications. On the other hand, using high throughput array technologies, it is possible to analyze thousands of genes simultaneously, resulting in an individual gene or gene expression profile (signature). These data increasingly allow to define the individual risk for a given disease and to predict the individual prognosis of a disease as well as the efficacy of therapeutic strategies (personalized medicine).