- Identify all thirty thousand genes in human DNA
- Determine the three billion chemical bases that make up a human DNA
- Store all the information in databases and address them to the private sector
- Provide information about the ethical, social and legal issues that may arise
In order to achieve these aims scientists involved studied the genetic make up of some non-human organisms. The importance and uses of the genome is that a genome is the entire DNA in an organism including all the genes. The bases in DNA are very important. The order of the bases underlies whether the organism is a human or another species.
The project is mainly to help scientists discover exactly which sections of the DNA on which chromosomes are responsible for inherited diseases. By the year 2000 tests for some inherited diseases were available using DNA which could identify if a person was a carrier of a faulty gene e.g. Cystic Fibrosis or Sickle Cell Anaemia then they could decide if they wanted children or not.
Discovering the base sequence of a normal functioning gene may be used in the near future to eliminate all risks of the disease by replacing or correcting the faulty gene by means of gene therapy. This has been used in some people and has been completely successfully. Gene Testing has become possible through the human genome project but some people are worried about the implications of the testing. Doctors in the near future will be able to carry out tests on their patients to find out if they have these diseases. The enlightenment to the patient of their health may affect their life in terms of insurance companies refusing to insure them for the fact that they do not know how long they will survive and maybe they may be at the point where they are being discriminated by their employers. Another issue concerning the gene testing is that whether the information is reliable enough and also the gene testing will not be very helpful to people in third world countries that are more likely to be infected by a disease. There are some people who believe that the money spent on the Human Genome Project could be used to help improve health in poorer countries.
Basically to sum up what I have said here is that the Human Genome Project is used to discover methods of lowering the chances of getting an inherited disease.
Human Gene Therapy
Genes are specific bases that encode instructions on how to make proteins. Proteins are the one that perform life’s functions and make up the majority of cellular structures. When genes are altered so that the encoded proteins cannot carry out normal functions a genetic disorder can result. Gene Therapy is a method for correcting the genes responsible for disease development. There are several known approaches for correcting these genes:
- The most common approach is to insert a normal gene into a non-specific location to replace a non-functional gene
- A abnormal gene could be swapped with a normal gene
The way that Human Gene Therapy works is by inserting a normal gene into the genome to replace the abnormal gene, the disease-causing gene. A carrier molecule must be used called a vector to take the gene to the patients target cells. The most common is to use a vector that has been genetically altered to carry normal human DNA. The target cells such as the lung or liver cells are infected with the vector. The vector then releases all the genetic material into the target cell. The genetic material restores the target cell to its normal state. There are four types of viruses that could be used which are Retroviruses, Adenoviruses, Adeno – Associated Viruses and Herpes Simplex Viruses.
Ethical, Social and Legal Issues
The issues that could arise from new methods of gene testing could be fairness in the use of genetic information. Insurers, employers, adoption agencies, schools etc could use genetic information unfairly. The main question arising from this is that who should be able to access this confidential information and who may be at will to use it. In the issue of Reproduction, sufficient information should be provided to the patient, should they consider not having children in the future, as they do not want to put their children at risk of getting an inherited disease. Lastly the uncertainty of the results and therefore the patient may not trust the information as they may see it as unreliable. There are many issues that arise but it is all down to the patient and if they want to find out about their health and what they will do when discovering the results of the testing.
Conclusion
Overall I feel that there are many options for overcoming genetic diseases but they definitely pose a threat to society. I feel that the options for overcoming genetic diseases is good as it gives the patient the choice of overcoming these diseases but may affect their everyday life and I have given reasons above. I personally feel that their should be no testing as it tends to interfere with the patients life therefore it is not very good to have gene testing. I feel all the options for overcoming genetic diseases pose a problem for society but it is the patient’s decision to go through with the testing and therefore I feel that the results obtained should be kept confidential and no-one should be able to use them in any way. The Human Genome Project and Human Gene Therapy are both good options for overcoming genetic diseases because the Human Genome Projects find methods for treating genetic diseases and for some diseases they are very successful but they have their downsides, which I have discussed above.
