Host-environment medicine

Abstract

Rapid developments in genomic and proteomic testing promise to impact the way in which clinicians assess disease risk and drug selection in their patients. Because most diseases result from host-environment interactions, however, primary care providers will need to avoid the trap of biological determinism by examining the important role of environmental factors in their clinical assessments and interventions. This article discusses the application of host-environment concepts to recent developments in the areas of genomics and proteomics.