Interview with a Professional
The discovery of DNA, mapping of human DNA and the power to manipulate it is one of the biggest achievements, if not the biggest in the field of science. With this microscopic length of code, we can find out the person's background, heditry diseases and how the person would look like. However, this great power must be harnessed in the correct way and used for 'right' purposes.
Benifits of sequencing the human genome brings many benifits and answers questions that scientists pondering for hundred of years. Also, by opening this Pandora's box, many mysteries have surfaced which scientists and genomists of today and tommorrow will research in the never ending quest for the meaning of life.
As we near the completion of the Human Genome, which is slated in 2003, more people are aware of the impact of both the consequences and benifits of the genome that would revolutionize our daily lives. It promotes the quality of life. The drus can be tailer-made,thus promoting better cure of the diseases. Until now, we take the medication according to the western standards. Asians, with a relatively smaller body size, would sometimes get an overdose when consuming the drugs. Also, with tailor-made drugs, pharmacists and doctors can perscribe a drug that would work at its optimal performance in your system. Currently, drugs are made for the whole public and it might not work very well with some people.
Tests can be developed to detect all diseases in its early stages. It can be done by detecting the genetic variations, for example mutations or deletions caused by the multi-factorial properties that a disease would exhibit.
Also, inherited diseases can be detected early and treated accordingly. Currently only a handful of genetic diseases can be detected.
Another impact on humankind is that pharmaceutical companies are able to speed up the drugs discovery,searching for the active proteins floating in our bodies. This is what we call Proteomic era.
Speeding the basic medical research is another of interests. With the full sequence of data, Scientists can manipulate different models to test out their hypothesis. Also Scientists can now compare the human data to another popular experimental model, Mice as we may aware, all clinical trials are being tested on mice.
However, I am totally against certain uses of this tool. Genetic discrimination is one of the biggest issues as once a person has been detected with a potentially fatal disease, he would not be employed as employers would look through his medical file and insurace companies would not insure him in case of an accident. This would lead to a group of people in society that had been 'branded' and cannot go about a normal life. Thus health checks must be secure and confidential.
Also, cloning is absolutely wrong as we have only just discovered the uses and the way to manipulate DNA. We should study the benifits and consequences before we embark on such a venture. Recently, President Bush has allowed 60 stem cells to be used for research purposes but in fact, it is one of the stepping stones to make a fully cloned human being.
Biologically altered diseases would create more trouble than the nuclear arms race as engineering biological germs, viruses and diseases are relatively easier and more accessable. Terrorists and governments can use this new 'toy' to attack each other and unleash horrible diseases on each other civilian population.
Commerical intrests in this matter pose a big problem too. They are out to make a profit and they would do anything that would yield some money. Examples are such that they can use the knowledge of DNA and alter embryos to change its sex, appearance and other factors such as intelligence for parents who are willing to pay. Also, making spare organ parts to sell to people who require an organ transplant is wrong. Many problems can arise from this as it is untested and companies would keep on increasing the prices so that they can profit from people's pain.
Again, the emphasis of using this technology is my main concern here. One can get overwhelmed with all the possibilities but we must ask - Who would be there to clean it up when everything goes wrong?
This was sent to us from Dr. Tiong Tak Soong MBBS, PhD, MBA, Regional Sales Manager (SEA), Applied Biosystems Inc.