Simple Molecular Diagnostic Tools in Clinical Medicine

Background: Advances in genetic/genomic studies have been a robust driving force in the field of clinical medicine, particularly in the diagnostic field. Although ambitious efforts to elucidate all aspects of the genome have shown remarkable progress, there are numerous practical unmet needs in the clinic. To facilitate the use of genetic/ genomic research outcomes for patient treatment, simple, inexpensive, and convenient tools are essential. However, accurate and precise outcomes cannot be compromised to achieve convenience, and the performance of the simple molecular diagnostic tools should fulfil all basic requirements. Objective of the review: In this review, current trends in molecular diagnosis are described, and future perspectives are suggested. Discussion and conclusions: In the future, an optimal diagnosis system that can analyze the body status with just with a single drop of blood is expected to be developed. However, a simple, inexpensive, and portable molecular diagnostic tool is currently required. It is not easy to predict which type of diagnostic tools will become dominant, but POCT with molecular diagnostic functions is a strong candidate.