Application of precision medicine based on synthetic biology in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases

Abstract

Chronic non-communicable diseases have long been a significant factor affecting public health. If left unchecked, their protracted course and exorbitant treatment costs can inflict irreversible harm on patients' lives and finances. Chronic diseases often manifest insidiously and possess complex etiologies, posing substantial limitations to traditional treatment approaches, most of which merely provide symptomatic relief. Currently, synthetic biology has demonstrated substantial potential in the realms of chronic disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This article focuses on the field of chronic disease prevention and treatment, using obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and inflammatory bowel disease as exemplars of typical chronic illnesses. It reviews advancements in research involving the application of synthetic biology techniques, including the construction of genetic circuits, gene control switches, and sensor systems, to provide a comprehensive overview of biologically-based methods for precise and controllable treatment of chronic diseases. The aim is to offer insights for the translation of fundamental synthetic biology research into clinical treatments for chronic diseases, thereby ushering in a new era of precision medicine guided by this principle in the field of chronic disease prevention and treatment.