Rajiv Angrish

Imagine a future where doctors can diagnose and treat diseases accurately by examining the unique ‘fingerprint’ of cells. Let’s meet Raj, who is suffering from a painful tumour on the right of his chest. The situation is baffling traditional doctors. After weeks of agony, Raj visits a cutting-edge medical centre using the revolutionary “Human Cell Atlas” (HCA). Here, Raj undergoes cell profiling, during which scientists collect a tiny sample of his diseased cells and analyse the genetic and functional details. This data is compared to the vast reference map of the HCA. Within hours, doctors pinpoint the ailment as a tumour caused by a gene mutation affecting specific lung cells. The hospital biomedical engineers then developed an RNA-silencing drug tailored to deactivate the malignancy-causing gene. After administering the drug, the tumours start to recede within a week and disappear in about two months, returning Raj to his happy routine. Thanks to the HCA, Raj receives a personalised treatment plan that targets his…read more on NOPR