A glimpse at the future of medicine

Michael Snyder knows his body better than anyone in history.

For two-and-a-half years, he's had regular blood samples drawn, and tracked the ebb and flow of 40,000 different molecules within his cells, from hormones to blood sugar, to the proteins of the immune system and mutated genes. Snyder also watched as his genetic vulnerability to diabetes turned into actual disease.

His story marks the first time anyone's physiology has ever been followed this closely, and portends the future of personalized medicine, according to Snyder and others.

"The future is now," says Charis Eng, a professor of genomic medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. "I think we're heading in this direction, and I think we must prepare in every way, not just scientifically, not just medically, but as a society—[considering] all the ethical, moral, and regulatory issues." 

During the course of the study, Snyder had his genome sequenced. The DNA testing suggested he was at risk for type 2 diabetes. Although his doctors didn't see any outward signs that he might be developing the condition, his self-testing revealed early signs. He later developed the disease.

A close reading of his body's data suggested to Snyder that his diabetes could have been triggered by a "pretty nasty cold" that forced him to skip work for a few days. 

Betul Hatipoglu, an endocrinologist at the Cleveland Clinic, doesn't think any specific virus caused Snyder's diabetes. But she says the coincident timing supports the idea that stress can unmask underlying vulnerabilities. "It could have been any other kind of stress that turned on that event," she says. "If you carry these genes, a big stress like a huge car accident could turn that on. The body uses many pathways to respond to stress."

Everybody needs to chill.