There is no denying that the healthcare industry has benefited immensely from developments in technology. Health technology has emerged as a vibrant segment of science, attracting huge research and development (R&D) activities backed by massive investments from both public and private agencies. Transcriptomics is one area that is witnessing a great deal of activity – both in terms of research and investment. In 2015, the global transcriptomics market was valued at $2.5 billion; according to analysts at Technavio, the market will grow at a CAGR of 14% by 2020.
A subarea of functional genomics, transcriptomics studies gene expression with a special focus on messenger RNA or mRNA. By collecting and analyzing RNA molecules, transcriptomics allows for the understanding of the wide range of differences present among various tissues and cells that may cause genetic disorders. RNA analysis is seen as an effective tool in disease and treatment markers, as it helps identify good or bad responders to a drug, can be used as a disease biomarker, and helps in identifying drug targets.
Why is transcriptomics regarded as the future of health technology?
Over the past two decades, the elderly population has grown significantly. On one hand, this is a sign of better nutrition and an improved healthcare system. On the other hand, it means that the number of patients with chronic diseases has increased. For this reason, there has been high demand for early diagnosis and better drug development. As transcriptomics captures the differences in genetic expression, it helps in understanding a wide-range of biochemical and physical differences present among various cells and tissues, which may cause genetic disorders and several other chronic diseases. Increased instance of cancer has led to greater usage of transcriptomics technologies for disease diagnosis and drug development. For example: small RNA-Sequencing technology aids in the discovery and outlining of miRNAs and other small, noncoding RNAs that are present in a cancer transcriptome
There has also been an increase in cases of autoimmune disorders like Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis, which call for better means of diagnosis and treatment. Once again, transcriptomics plays a critical role, as it helps generate a global profile that comprises several expression changes associated with a particular disease, thereby improving the understanding of disease pathogenesis.
From the point of view of end-users, there has a growing need for accurate, specific, and speedy tools that can be employed in clinical diagnostics, bioinformatics, and drug research and discovery. As transcriptomic consumables like reagents and buffers are highly efficient in a number of tests, the demand for transcriptomics technology has been further boosted.
Additionally, there has been great demand for transcriptomics in nutrition research (nutrigenomics), for the purpose of understanding how diet induces variations in gene expression.
Apart from the Americas (which already holds 50% of the market share), the fact that both APAC and EMEA are increasing their market share is evidence that transcriptomics is truly leading the future of health technology.
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