Human Genome Map
Researchers announced a major scientific milestone–the mapping of the human genome. Dr. Emily Senay explained what this means for science, medicine and humanity.
This breakthrough is as significant as the first moon landing. Scientists have deciphered the human genome–the so-called "Book of Life" and they have done it years ahead of schedule.
"It's an almost unbelievable task," says James Watson who won the Nobel Prize for discovering DNA in the early 60's. "The mapping of three billion bits of information that make up our genetic code. To me, this is the end of 55 years of dreaming that we would see our instructions."
Watson could not have imagined the day would come when all human DNA would be mapped. "Until about 20 years ago, we thought it would be our children or our children's children who were going to see the instruction book. And now we are seeing it."
Watson helped initiate the publicly funded genome project in 1990. It was expected to take 15 years. But the project is five years ahead of schedule thanks in part to competition from a private company called Celera Genomics. The race to be the first to complete the map was marked by friction between the public effort headed by Francis Collins and the private one lead by Craig Venter. Using sophisticated mapping machines, Venter's group was able to accelerate the process. Today, both teams are expected to make the historic announcement together.
The genetic code is locked inside each of our cells. Within each cell nucleus are chromosones. Chromosomes are made up of tightly wound strings of DNA, which in turn are made up of four chemicals–represented by the letters A,C,T, and G. Different combinations of those letters determine the different genes. Scientists now know the order of the three billion letters of DNA.
Ninety nine point nine percent of our genes are identical from one person to the next. But the point one percent that is different may determine why one person develops high blood pressure and another cancer. The genome map will help researchers find out where those differences are and to create new medicines.
"It may never be possible to eliminate all disease but we are certainly going to have far better treatments for virtually any of the diseases that we now know," says John Rennis, editor of Scientific American Magazine.
Drug companies are already in hot pursuit of new medicines using information from the genome, but it will be a long time before the golden age of genetic medicine is completely realized.
"The fact is all that we've gotten so far is just a quick readout of the info that's inside the DNA," says Rennis. "We're going to be spending decades to come just figuring out what all of that means."
Though today's announcement represents a finish line for the human genome map it is really just the beginning of a new frontier in medicine. Now scientists can begin the really hard part which is turning this new knowlede of human genes into medicine.
Questions to Dr. Senay: What sparked the rivalry between the public project and Celera?
Answer: One of the biggest issues has been gene patenting. While the public project has been sharing their research as they go along putting it on the web, private companies like Celera have been using it along with their own data. There is a lot of money to be made by genomics and pharmaceutical companies, which are teaming up and patenting genes as they discover them. They then have the rights to create tests and drugs for the particular gene.
Q: Are there other serious ethical issues we'll be hearing about soon?
A: yes. One question we'll be asking ourselves is: How much do we want to know about our future health? Scientists predict that we will soon be able to test for most inherited diseases. But the cures may be many years down the line. Another question is: who should have access to our genetic information; will potential employers or insurers dicriminate if our genes say we *may* get a disease? Some worry that years down the line parents may actually be able to shop for specific traits for their children.
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