In the U.S., the Department of Energy (DOE) at first, and then the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were the research agencies within the government that were responsible for developing the project. In 1988 the two agencies started working together, this association was formalized by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to "coordinate research and technical activities related to the human genome" (National Human Genome Research Institute). In 1989 the National Center for Human Genome Research (NCHGR) was founded to regulate the human genome project for the NIH. The NCHGR is just one of twenty-four institutes, center, or divisions that make up the NIH, which is the federal government’s central agency for the support of biomedical research. There are at least 18 other countries that have established a human genome project.
Even at the beginning of the human genome project it was clearly identified that gaining and using this knowledge would have a large impact for individuals and society. “The effort underway is unlike anything ever before attempted, if successful, it could lead to our ultimate control of human disease, aging, and death” (Lee).
Whatever the justification, the human genome project has already inspired society with the hope of "better" babies, and one way to look at this promise of "better" babies is in its social context; parenthood. Parents hope for healthy children, and make such choices as choosing parental care to help "engineer" healthier offspring. Genetic engineering in this aspect seems to offer a great deal of hope for parents. Through germ-line therapy, dangerous, but genetically distinct diseases, such as Huntington's and cystic fibrosis could be removed from the DNA of the egg or zygote (Germline Gene Therapy). Clearly most parents would want a choice that could help avoid a short, painful life for their children.
Another significant social effect of the project is the availability of a patient’s medical information. This information will be available to others that are not in the medical profession, for example; insurance companies and employers. Insurance companies will then have the ability to deny policies and raise coverage costs based on your genetic predisposition to certain diseases and conditions. Employers will be able to prevent hiring potential employees, and limit the kind of work allowed.
The future of genetics is to revolutionize biology and medicine, through more effective pharmaceuticals. These new drugs are manufactured with recombinant DNA technology and are reagent-grade, just as human insulin and growth hormones are. Potential medical records will contain a complete genome that will be used to predict responses to certain drugs. This will develop better patient treatment, in helping to look at the patient as a biochemical and genetic individual, which will make treatments more specific, precise, and successful.
Currently, an estimated 100,000 people die each year from adverse reactions to drugs and millions of people have uncomfortable and dangerous side effects. More effective drugs are being developed that will help doctor’s test individual genetic profiles against a panel of available drugs. This will benefit in the selection of a treatment with the greatest potential benefit (Fast Forward to 2020: What to Expect in Molecular Medicine).
The mapping of the human genome is an extraordinary leap in biological science. It has an almost infinite application to medical and research science. The project has and will continue to be the foundation in the creating a healthier, longer, more knowledgeable life for humans.
Works Cited:
Fast Forward to 2020: What to Expect in Molecular Medicine. <http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/medicine/tnty.shtml>.
"Germline Gene Therapy." UCLA Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life. <http://www.ess.ucla.edu/huge/germdef.html>.
Hirschler, Ben. May 2007. <http://www.reyters.com/article/scienceNewa/idUSL016653620070501?pagenumber=1>.
Lee, Thomas F. The Human Genome Project: Cracking the Genetic Code of Life. Plenum Press, 1992.
National Human Genome Research Institute. <http://www.genome.gov>.
