http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/09/science/elizabeth-blackburn-molecular-biologist-charts-her-own-course.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130409&_r=0
1April13 Genetics & Cancer (story in al-Jazeera)
http://m.aljazeera.com/story/201332814458981700
1April13 Gene Therapy for sight, smell, hearing, etc.
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/34778/title/Sensing-Gene-Therapy/
20Mar13 Genetic Therapy Show Promise for Acute Leukemia
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/health/altered-t-cell-therapy-shows-promise-for-acute-leukemia.html?_r=0&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1363814668-O+Rsx6N6JC3dOyYLSzE44Q
13Mar13 NOVA's Cracking Your Genetic Code (video we watched in class)
http://video.pbs.org/video/2215641935/
13Mar13 How Well Do You Want to Know Your DNA? | PBS NewsHour
Coincidentally to showing NOVA's "Cracking Your Genetic Code" on 12March, was a story on tonight's NewsHour also about genetics &
personal medicine.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/03/if-your-genes-revealed-you-were-likely-to-get-a-disease-would-you-want-to-know.html
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/03/if-your-genes-revealed-you-were-likely-to-get-a-disease-would-you-want-to-know.html
Hemophilia B is the first well-known disease to appear treatable by gene therapy, a technique with a 20-year record of almost unbroken failure. http://nyti.ms/uI3yx7
Knome’s New Machine to Aid Labs in Genomic Analysis - NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/business/knomes-new-machine-to-aid-labs-in-genomic-analysis.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130203
Human Genome Project story
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/cracking-the-code-of-life.html
Based on the video we watched in class I am very timid about knowing my complete genome. I feel that it is a great idea for the doctor to have my complete genome at birth; however, I am not sure how much I would want to know. If part of my genome codes for an unavoidable disease that is preventable than I would want to know immediately. However, I feel that if i knew my suseptibility for every major disease I would be terrified and it would always be on my mind. It is a very grey area and honestly I am not sure how much I would want to know
ReplyDeleteI think that it would be both really cool and really bad to know my complete genome. It would be good in the sense that the doctor would know what i am at risk for and could start me off on a track to reduce risks and he would be able to start looking into cures for it if i were to develop that given disease but at the same time having my complete genome would be scary. If insurances got a hold of that, they could up my cost or even drop me from their company. For as many good things that could come from knowing one's complete genome there are as many bad things that could happen. I would be terrified to know how likely i am to develop a certain disease. I am also worried that i would become obsessed with it to the point where my whole life revolved around preparing for it, preventing it. With this knowledge comes many responisibliities and i don't think i could handle it
ReplyDeletei agree with heather if i had my entire genome mapped out and the insurance agency got a hold on that information that could potentially cut me out from ever getting any form of insurance. For that particular reason i do not think it would be wise to know or especially others to know what diseases i am at risk for.
DeleteI completely agree- I don't think I'd ever want to know my complete genome and what diseases I am at risk for. Sure, it could be extremely useful in an emergency, but if I knew I was at risk for say, dementia, every little detail that I happened to forget while at an older age would make me wonder if the disease was beginning to take effect. I wouldn't want to live in constant worry like that, and instead take the hand life deals me. Of course, this type of information gained from genetic mapping will likely not be available for a long time yet, and even then, how accurate will it be? Currently, the genetic mapping projects are basically making educated guesses about what people are at risk for. I just think that overall the project may provide vital, lifesaving informaiton in the future, but it must be handled with utmost care and tact.
DeleteI'm not sure whether or not I would want to know my complete genome... that's kind of like knowing the exact day you're going to die and how. They had something like this on Grey's Anatomy where they did genome mapping and all Meredith did was obsess over her future and how she carries the gene for Alzheimer's disease... there is a fine line in knowing to prevent curable diseases but otherwise I believe I would also obsess over the verdict of the genome mapping
DeleteI do not like the idea of knowing my human genome. Although it is a good idea to be able to test babies at birth for possibly fatal diseases, unless there is some way knowing the genome can help you, by no means would I want to know my complete genome. If I am in a situation where I have my DNA read and I find out I am likely to have a certain disease and there is no way to help me, I would not want to live with that burden of knowledge. Along with the obvious advantages, this knowledge, diseases such as cancer and Huntington’s can be treated immediately and effectively. But along with the advantages there are many disadvantages. One disadvantage as discussed in the movie could be insurance and job discrimination. Another issue not discussed much is the knowledge of genetic disease could also increase abortion rates. Again I think that there are some positive advantages, the negatives far exceed the positive.
ReplyDeleteI would no like knowing my entire genome. The fact i may find out that i have a rare disorder just scares me and i would prefer if i didn't know because it would ruin the entire way i go through life and i want it to stay that way. It is a good idea however for new born testing while they are at that age because is will help them live their lives better. Over all there are benefits and risks with this kind of testing. We can use this knowledge to treat strong genetic mutations like Huntington's and incurable cancers.
ReplyDeleteThe video we watched in class was amazing and it is crazy to think that you can know your entire genome, it is pretty cool to think about. Personally, I wouldn't mind getting mine taken but I would not want to know the results. I would trust my doctors and others involved that this information would stay confidential and not be given to insurance companies or anyone else. I wouldn't want to know if I am going to get a disease down the road because then it would always be in the back of my mind and I don't think I would be able to enjoy life as much knowing bad things like that are ahead. Another reason I would not want to know is because I would not want to put my family in an awkward position and I wouldn't want people treating me differently because I know I am going to get a harmful disease down the road. I think it would be important to have on file that way if that time comes my doctors know exactly what is going on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with craig on every issue he brought up. But the point that stands out the most is his last, being that the genome could become life saving. Looking at it this was i do understand how it could be used for good, but i still don't believe the benefits outweigh the cost.
DeleteI agree strongly with Heather's comment that if I knew I had an incurable disease my entire life would revolve around thinking about it. It would probably become somewhat of an obsession constantly thinking about it. Many of you also mentioned the harm of insurance companies obtaining this information. This is a definitely a scary thought and I think it is one of the main reasons that forcing everyone (including babies) to get their DNA read is wrong. No information is secure. Everyone's DNA would be stored in a database and every database can get hacked. I think it is each person's prerogative to choose whether or not to have their DNA sequenced. As more people get their DNA sequenced, human DNA will truly be "cracked". As of now, there are tons of genes whose functions are unknown. Every year progress will be made on this front. Even more exciting is the prospect of gene therapy and biotechnology (more or less revolves around changing a gene sequence within a person by using a virus to insert a new/correct gene sequence).
ReplyDeleteI would not like to know my genome unless I were in a situation with a serious disease and the doctors did not know what it was. This may be too late, but I feel that if I knew the probability of getting certain diseases it would impact my life in a negative way. A point that I thought was interesting that the video brought up was the posibility of people getting their hands on your genome and using it against you. The example I think the video used was a candidate for president having the gene for Alzheimer's disease and his oponent using it against him while campaigning. As long as there is a very secure way to do it I think it would be good for doctors to have everyone's genome, but not tell the person unless they ask for it.
ReplyDeleteAs Dr. Cate mentioned it is terrible to think of insurance companies getting hold of our genome and discriminating against those with increased risk for genetic diseases. I think some serious precautions need to be set in place before I would consider having my genome sequenced. A good start would be to only make the genome available to physicians. New forms of genetic identity protection will have to be required knowing that we leave bits of DNA practically everywhere we go.
ReplyDeleteThat is one of my greatest fears in regards to this whole genome topic. I don't want insurance companies to be able to get a hold of information like this. Everyone needs insurance and this is just going to give insurance companies fuel/ more reasons not to cover people
DeleteI agree with what Gabrielle as well. It is truly sad that the insurance company will do anything in order to make more money. Insurance is meant to be something that can be something that is there to help us, not make our lives harder. And it really is scary because they will use anything against you, I have a friend whose life insurance was raised simply because she has a rot wiler (don't know how to spell it) dog as a pet. I've seen it before and its completely harmless.
DeleteI would have my complete genome read, so that my doctor would know more specifically how to treat me and so that I could also know of any curable diseases that may come in my future. I agree that knowing everything about my genome would make me obsess more over the diseases that could not be cured, but I would want to know of any curable diseases that I could have just so that I could be more prepared and more willing to accept the things that will happen to me in the future. If it ever becomes a policy where everyone has to get there genetic information read, a deal would have to be worked out with the insurance companies because it would not be fair for them to discriminate agianst us because of things that we physically cannot control.
ReplyDeleteWith continuance competition growing in the job market, one fear that I have in mapping genomes is that potential employers would have access to your risk in diseases or tendencies. For example, if you are at a greater risk for any life threatening disease the employer would then discriminate against you for both insurance risks and risk of death. At another level, employers could look to see if you are more vonerable for anger, rage, or other traits that could be looked as negative in the workplace. All these risks of discrimination added with the already competitive job market puts everyone at risk. If your genome is willingly mapped out the possibility of the chance that it is leaked, similar to identity theft, is still a risk. So if you did simply want your doctor to view it that may not be the only person who has access.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings when it comes to knowing my entire genome. On one hand it would be great to know what I was at higher risk for, and be able to adjust my lifestyle accordingly, like my type of diet and exercise for example. Or to know my risks of passing on some sort of genetic issue so I could make decisions about having children. On the other hand it would be extremely stressful to live your life knowing if you were extremely likely or definitely likely to develop some type of disease. Another thing that worries me about the greater availability of this type of technology is the subject of insurance coverage. Like many of you have mentioned all of this brings rise to the issue of your insurance company raising your rates, or even dropping you as a result of your genetic tests. Another concern would be that insurance companies would require you to have a screening, which I disagree with. I think even if this becomes a common day occurrence either the patient or their guardian has the final decision on whether they want their genome read or not.
ReplyDeleteI think many of you have some great points. Obviously with the ability to map one's entire genome comes the risk that this information could end up in the wrong hands (employer, insurance companies, etc). It seems in order to protect individuals there must be strict laws in place so that this information does not end up in the wrong hands and "genetic discrimination" does not occur. On the other hand, there are some obvious benefits of knowing one's genome that can not be overlooked. Many advanced medical treatments such as gene therapy come from knowing the human genome. I recently read an article about how Type II diabetes is now being cured in dogs via gene therapy. One can only speculate that scientists could be on the verge of this type of breakthrough with humans. Thus, from a biomedical ethics perspective, the human genome holds a plethora of possibilities for medical advancement but we must proceed with caution.
ReplyDeleteKyle stated exactly what I was thinking perfectly. I agree with everything he said!
DeleteI am going to go with the majority on this topic. As helpful and informative as mapping your genome could be, I am extremely apprehensive about what could happen if it fell into the wrong hands, such as some others have mentioned, an insurance company, who could then deny you coverage based on comlpications that you only have the potential to be afflicted with. Also, although this may be stretching it a bit, there is the possibility of "genome thieves" just as we have identity theft today. If someone else was able to get ahold of your genome, which is what makes you uniquely "you", they could pose as a perfect imitation whether to buy things or just be malicious. Personally, I don't think I would want my own genome mapped, not only on account of what could happen if someone else came by it, but I do not want to know what *might* happen to me forty or fifty years down the road. I'd rather simply take things in stride as I go along.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree. I think mapping the genome of individuals could be very beneficial. As a country we could learn so much from the mapping of genomes. We could see how genes mutate from generation to generation and can try to eliminate the lethal genes if we know they are present. I understand the worry about the information getting into the wrong hands could be scary, but with science you cannot just not do something because of a scare. Not much would get accomplished. Just like when Antonio mentioned that a group of researchers effectively mutated the flu to be transmitted from human to human and decided to publish the article despite the dangers of the wrong people getting a hold of it. The benefits outweigh the risk. Science is about discovering things and constantly making advances. There are much scarier ways that people can hurt us besides using our genome. And I am not really sure what the genome thief is. Would someone steal your genome and then make a clone of you? Please help me to understand.
DeleteYou made some good points, especially about not letting risks deter science from progressing. I think my main issue with the genome mapping is mostly personal knowledge. I could have clarified the genome thief part a bit more too. I just envisioned it as your genetic code being more along the lines of a more intimate social security number. Just as people who obtain this can wreak havoc in your life by doing something like buying a car or house in your name, theoretically if genetic mapping came to true fruition, having someone's complete genome would allow them to pose as you not just with a number, but your DNA makeup down to the individual bases.
DeleteBefore I blog about the genetics stuff, I really want to comment about stem cell research and euthanasia and there is not a place to put it, so I am putting it here. First, I want to explain what sparked me to go back to the is topic. My uncle had been diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. For those who are unfamiliar with the disease, it is a neurodegenerative disease that kills your neurons (which send signals to you brain to produce movement). Neurons do not reproduce, so in ALS your body slowly dissolves until the point you cannot breath or swallow. To watch my uncle not be able to lift his head or to barely be able to talk is terrible. This disease is completely incurable and the only possible treatment is through stem cells. I really just think that stem cells can be extremely valuable to cure diseases like such. To those who argue that it is killing a potential human, let me explain something. Stem cells are harvested around the blastula stage, which could mean that the egg is composed of a total of anywhere from 2-100 cells. The gut and nervous system has not began to form and if need be you can split a blastula in half so one can form a normal human and the other can be used for research.... The last thing I would like to comment on is euthanasia. In my uncles situation, his brain is fully functioning and will be till he dies. His brain is not damaged only the signaling pathway is. I know we talked about how people at the end of their life might not have hunger or thirst but in the case of ALS this is not true. ALS patients have a complete sense of hunger, thirst, and all other senses but the ability to be able to drink, eat, and talk have been taken from them. So now he has to starve to death while the feeling of hunger is still present. This a more inhumane way to die than to be euthanized. Please tell me any comments..
ReplyDeleteWell I am going to go ahead and talk about ALS from a genetic point of view. ALS is a genetic disease that is inherited through offspring. When two recessive traits for ALS are paired through recombination of parental DNA the disease could present itself in that particular offspring. Genetic therapy could influence the rate of reoccurrence for this terrible disease. I think in extreme cases like this, genetic therapy needs to be considered. ALS is a painful and terrible disease for not only the patient but all friends and family. If the correct precautions are taken I do not see why genetic therapy should not be considered.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the article about sensing gene therapy it is amazing that scientists have already made advances in hearing and are working harder now on curing taste and touch as well. Curing the mice with hearing loss is just the first step. It would be an amazing feat to cure a human or hearing loss. It would be something so amazing that I would love to watch and listen to that person who can suddenly with an injection hear again. That would be amazing to experience. Hopefully one day not to far away scientists find ways to cure these three sensory defects.
ReplyDeleteI was also encouraged by the "Sensing Gene Therapy" article. It gives me hope that gene therapy is already making advances with aims to improve quality of life of individuals with genetically caused sensory reduction. The most intriguing of the studies was concerning pain treatment. In this study the patients were in agony due to cancer, but where do we draw the line in pain therapy. Should anyone be able to receive pain therapy? Pain does serve an evolutionary purpose, however excess of pain should be the focus. I do understand that this research is still early on, these are simply my concerns for the future of pain gene therapy.
ReplyDeleteI regards to the treatment of hemophilia B patients with gene therapy. I agree that gene therapy should be used to maintain expression of clotting factors that are needed to successfully clot. Even though gene therapy is a rather new area of study it has shown real promise in alleviating the prolonged bleeding time that is associated with this form of hemophilia.i agree that the means of using viral vectors has shown to be efficient, but not without the cost of our bodies immune system eventually rejecting the treatment. As technology advance more effective treatment regimens will be developed to over come the immune response and eventually replace the mutated gene that is on our x chromosome.
ReplyDeleteAlong with the topic of genes and the human genome project, the US supreme court is ruling on an issue of the legality of patenting human genes. Currently some 4,000 genes are have been patented to universities and scientists. On Monday, the Court will question whether or not human DNA can be classified as intellectual property turning the 4,000 into 0. More on the case and the specifics can be found on this link.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/florida-battles-slimy-invasion-giant-snails-161432518--sector.html
In my opinion ethically I don't think that one person or group should have the rights to samples of DNA. If more groups collaborate, and pool their studies together, a solution could be found. However since these groups are business and are in the end seeking a profit they would benefit publishing their works separate from the others and thus making more money and or fame.
I agree with Will that one group of researchers should have a monopoly over the samples of DNA. More positive outcomes and research could be done if more people have access to DNA. The group who does have the samples is most likely trying to make a profit and could set prices as high as they want since there is no competition.
DeleteI agree with Will that no one should have the rights to samples of DNA. Money and personal gain are two major factors that are preventing this country from progressing any further. People should make a collaborative effort to put aside their differences and work together and find the answers that could potential help the entire human race beside worrying about filling up ones own pocket. A monopoly should never be established on who has the right to test and sell DNA to other people.
DeleteI think this subject can be related to new drugs and pharmaceuticals being produced and patented. There is a conflict between ethics and practicality. Ethically, no treatment or gene should ever be patented so that way more people will have easier access to it, but thenthere is no incentive for companies to try and come up with new products because there is no payoff afterwards. It is a complex situation that needs to find some sort of balance for both sides.
DeleteI have to say, I am looking forward to advances in this field. Everyone talks of "going to far". What is going too far if it improves us? Yes, we'll start out with simple cures. Once we have that down, what's next? Just dropping the concept? Hell no. Upgrades are an inevitable advancement here.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the sensing gene therapy article. I find it interesting that they can actually restore the gene relate to the neurotransmitter Glutamate. Even though gene therapy is a relatively new the fact is can cure disorders such as this show that it can have a wide range of practical applications. I am looking forward to a more affordable product that could result from this new method of treatment. Once we begin to cure the minor diseases we then can progress further an tackle the major cancers that afflict most humans. Treatment for sensory defects would definitely be a step in the right direction. Improving the quality of life of those who are afflicted with these disorders is something i would love to see in the not so distant future.
ReplyDeleteI think that private insurance companies have no right to look at your genetic genome. If the patient is going to pay money to have their entire genome read, insurance companies should not hold it against them. It is the private insurances job to evaluate who to cover. This is what they get paid for. Why should we have to reveal every part of our genetic makeup. This is to protect ourselves medically, which is quite expensive enough, so we should also be protected financially from private insurance companies.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brent on this, but sadly I think that eventually especially if there is some way for us to access our genome online in the future, that these insurance companies will find a way to gain access even if we choose net to physically give it to them.
DeleteI really enjoyed the video in class on the genome projects they were discussing. I am not huge on the actual subject of genetics as a Bio major, but have always found DNA quite fascinating. So this video really caught my interest. However just I said in some of my comments above, I have feeling that there will be a negative outcome from it in the future. However I'm also aware of how this project can do very good things just like it did for the several patients in the video where this project really helped some people live longer and better lives. For the boy it was used for them to actually identify a rare case disease, which was really cool how they could go about process of elimination to find the disease hidden in the little boy's DNA code.
ReplyDelete