Human Genome Project
Gabrielle Hyrny
Background
Humankind is so interested in genetics because this science could perhaps hold the answer to our origins. Being able to trace the evolution and development of humans will hopefully lead us to more answers. Genetics will help us understand human evolution and the common life that we all share in biology. In the Human Genome Project, human evolution research is the study of evolution through germ line mutations in lineages, migration of different population groups and the ability to compare breakpoints in the evolution of mutations with ages of populations and historical events. Upon completion of the genetic map of the human, we can begin to study it. The successes of the Human Genome Project have even enabled researchers to pinpoint errors in genes, the smallest units of heredity, that cause or contribute to disease. This information from DNA can be used to develop new ways to treat, cure, or even prevent the thousands of diseases that afflict humankind. Molecular medicine can improve diagnosis of disease, detect genetic predispositions to disease earlier, ration drug design, and control systems of drugs. The potential for using genes themselves to treat disease, known as gene therapy, has captured the imaginations of the public and the biomedical community for good reason. This rapidly developing field holds great potential for treating or even curing genetic and acquired diseases. All of this is made possible because as a race, humans seek the answers to questions; not only for the betterment of humankind, but just for the sake of knowledge itself.
Turning Point
The Human Genome Project (HGP) is an ambitious worldwide effort to understand the structure and function of the genetic information contained in each cell of a human. Congress funded the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy with a budget of $3 billion, launching the Human Genome Project in 1988. [1]The goal of the project included mapping and sequencing the human genome with the hope of identifying genes involved in diseases in order to either prevent or better treat them[2]. The NIH created the Office for Human Genome Research that later became the National Human Genome Research Institute in 1997 (NHGRI).[3] In 1998 there was some controversy surrounding Celera Genomics, a private company that began competing with the government funded project. In 2000, Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a joint statement declaring that the basic information on the human genome should be public property, but patents had already been published[4]. However, most of the patent applications have not been acted upon, and all of the research regarding the human genome has been made public[5]. The International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium consisting of about 20 laboratories from around the world announced the production of a rough draft of the sequence in 2000. Then in April, 2003 the Consortium announced the essentially finished version of the human genome sequence that provides all necessary information to do research3. Originally it was thought that the human genome consisted of 100,000 genes but it was discovered there are only about 30,000 and all were mapped by 2003[6]. The HGP is complete, but scientists will continue to interpret the human sequence to improve human health.
Effect
The full impact of the Human Genome Project has still not been felt by the human race. Since this is still a fairly new science, research is ongoing. Now that a “manual” has been made for the human body, a genetic basis for health and the pathology of human disease can be discovered. Before the HGP, there was research being done in these fields but without the framework laid out by the HGP, progress was slow. Now, the human race can expect the discovery of genes that render a person sick but also unmask the genes that render someone susceptible to an illness.[7] The idea that this sort of prediction was possible for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, Tay Sachs, Alzheimer's, and Sickle Cell Anemia was unrealistic. The realization that our fate is largely determined by our genes has been occurring over the last century; however, the HGP has opened up doors to the possibility that humans can now change or influence our own genes. This frame of thinking is newly found after the completion of the HGP. The success of this Project also brings about ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI). It has been clear since the beginning of the HGP that the expanding knowledge of the genome would have a profound impact upon humanity, not just science. It became apparent that in order to maximize the benefits, research needed to be conducted to investigate the wide range of issues that could appear. Some implications that have been presented include: discrimination based on genetic testing results, irresponsible abortions, and belief that genes determine life paths completely.[8] Five percent of the budget for NHGRI is dedicated to examining ELSI related to their research, making specific recommendations into activities of NHGRI and guiding policymakers and the public in decisions. This program is unprecedented in biomedical science and serves as a blueprint for other large science efforts[9]. Preventing potential problems from occurring also shows a change in the way humankind is beginning to view progress. The Human Genome Project has, and will continue to shape and influence the way people think about their bodies and health.
[1] National Human Genome Research Institute. “A Brief History of the Human Genome Project”. 2012.p.1.
[2] Stanley I. Kutler. Dictionary of American History. 2003. p.1.
[3] National Human Genome Research Institute. “The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions”. 2010. p.2.
[4] Stanley I. Kutler. Dictionary of American History. 2003. p.1.
[5] National Human Genome Research Institute. “The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions”. 2010. p.3.
[6] National Human Genome Research Institute. “A Brief History of the Human Genome Project”. 2012. p.2. [7] Cranor, Carl F. Are Genes Us? The Social Consequences of the New Genetics. 1994. p.254-258
[8] Bishop, Jerry and Waldholz, Michael. Genome: The Story of the Most Astonishing Scientific Adventure of Our Time-The Attempt to Map All the Genes in the Human Body. 1990. p.187-194.
[9] National Human Genome Research Institute. “The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions”. 2010. p.3.
Bibliography
Bioethics Research Library at Georgetown University. “Human Genome Project”. 2011.
http://bioethics.georgetown.edu/publications/scopenotes/sn17.pdf.
Bishop, Jerry and Waldholz, Michael. Genome: The Story of the Most Astonishing Scientific Adventure of Our Time-The Attempt to Map All the
Genes in the Human Body. Simon and Schuster. New York. 1990.
Cranor, Carl F. Are Genes Us? The Social Consequences of the New Genetics. Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick, New Jersey. 1994.
National Human Genome Research Institute. “A Brief History of the Human Genome Project”. 2012. http://www.genome.gov/12011239.
National Human Genome Research Institute. “The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions”. 2010.
.http://www.genome.gov/11006943
Stanley I. Kutler. Dictionary of American History. Charles Scribner's Sons. New York. 2003. Gale Virtual Reference Library.
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.
Gabrielle Hyrny
Background
Humankind is so interested in genetics because this science could perhaps hold the answer to our origins. Being able to trace the evolution and development of humans will hopefully lead us to more answers. Genetics will help us understand human evolution and the common life that we all share in biology. In the Human Genome Project, human evolution research is the study of evolution through germ line mutations in lineages, migration of different population groups and the ability to compare breakpoints in the evolution of mutations with ages of populations and historical events. Upon completion of the genetic map of the human, we can begin to study it. The successes of the Human Genome Project have even enabled researchers to pinpoint errors in genes, the smallest units of heredity, that cause or contribute to disease. This information from DNA can be used to develop new ways to treat, cure, or even prevent the thousands of diseases that afflict humankind. Molecular medicine can improve diagnosis of disease, detect genetic predispositions to disease earlier, ration drug design, and control systems of drugs. The potential for using genes themselves to treat disease, known as gene therapy, has captured the imaginations of the public and the biomedical community for good reason. This rapidly developing field holds great potential for treating or even curing genetic and acquired diseases. All of this is made possible because as a race, humans seek the answers to questions; not only for the betterment of humankind, but just for the sake of knowledge itself.
Turning Point
The Human Genome Project (HGP) is an ambitious worldwide effort to understand the structure and function of the genetic information contained in each cell of a human. Congress funded the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy with a budget of $3 billion, launching the Human Genome Project in 1988. [1]The goal of the project included mapping and sequencing the human genome with the hope of identifying genes involved in diseases in order to either prevent or better treat them[2]. The NIH created the Office for Human Genome Research that later became the National Human Genome Research Institute in 1997 (NHGRI).[3] In 1998 there was some controversy surrounding Celera Genomics, a private company that began competing with the government funded project. In 2000, Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a joint statement declaring that the basic information on the human genome should be public property, but patents had already been published[4]. However, most of the patent applications have not been acted upon, and all of the research regarding the human genome has been made public[5]. The International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium consisting of about 20 laboratories from around the world announced the production of a rough draft of the sequence in 2000. Then in April, 2003 the Consortium announced the essentially finished version of the human genome sequence that provides all necessary information to do research3. Originally it was thought that the human genome consisted of 100,000 genes but it was discovered there are only about 30,000 and all were mapped by 2003[6]. The HGP is complete, but scientists will continue to interpret the human sequence to improve human health.
Effect
The full impact of the Human Genome Project has still not been felt by the human race. Since this is still a fairly new science, research is ongoing. Now that a “manual” has been made for the human body, a genetic basis for health and the pathology of human disease can be discovered. Before the HGP, there was research being done in these fields but without the framework laid out by the HGP, progress was slow. Now, the human race can expect the discovery of genes that render a person sick but also unmask the genes that render someone susceptible to an illness.[7] The idea that this sort of prediction was possible for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, Tay Sachs, Alzheimer's, and Sickle Cell Anemia was unrealistic. The realization that our fate is largely determined by our genes has been occurring over the last century; however, the HGP has opened up doors to the possibility that humans can now change or influence our own genes. This frame of thinking is newly found after the completion of the HGP. The success of this Project also brings about ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI). It has been clear since the beginning of the HGP that the expanding knowledge of the genome would have a profound impact upon humanity, not just science. It became apparent that in order to maximize the benefits, research needed to be conducted to investigate the wide range of issues that could appear. Some implications that have been presented include: discrimination based on genetic testing results, irresponsible abortions, and belief that genes determine life paths completely.[8] Five percent of the budget for NHGRI is dedicated to examining ELSI related to their research, making specific recommendations into activities of NHGRI and guiding policymakers and the public in decisions. This program is unprecedented in biomedical science and serves as a blueprint for other large science efforts[9]. Preventing potential problems from occurring also shows a change in the way humankind is beginning to view progress. The Human Genome Project has, and will continue to shape and influence the way people think about their bodies and health.
[1] National Human Genome Research Institute. “A Brief History of the Human Genome Project”. 2012.p.1.
[2] Stanley I. Kutler. Dictionary of American History. 2003. p.1.
[3] National Human Genome Research Institute. “The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions”. 2010. p.2.
[4] Stanley I. Kutler. Dictionary of American History. 2003. p.1.
[5] National Human Genome Research Institute. “The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions”. 2010. p.3.
[6] National Human Genome Research Institute. “A Brief History of the Human Genome Project”. 2012. p.2. [7] Cranor, Carl F. Are Genes Us? The Social Consequences of the New Genetics. 1994. p.254-258
[8] Bishop, Jerry and Waldholz, Michael. Genome: The Story of the Most Astonishing Scientific Adventure of Our Time-The Attempt to Map All the Genes in the Human Body. 1990. p.187-194.
[9] National Human Genome Research Institute. “The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions”. 2010. p.3.
Bibliography
Bioethics Research Library at Georgetown University. “Human Genome Project”. 2011.
http://bioethics.georgetown.edu/publications/scopenotes/sn17.pdf.
Bishop, Jerry and Waldholz, Michael. Genome: The Story of the Most Astonishing Scientific Adventure of Our Time-The Attempt to Map All the
Genes in the Human Body. Simon and Schuster. New York. 1990.
Cranor, Carl F. Are Genes Us? The Social Consequences of the New Genetics. Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick, New Jersey. 1994.
National Human Genome Research Institute. “A Brief History of the Human Genome Project”. 2012. http://www.genome.gov/12011239.
National Human Genome Research Institute. “The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions”. 2010.
.http://www.genome.gov/11006943
Stanley I. Kutler. Dictionary of American History. Charles Scribner's Sons. New York. 2003. Gale Virtual Reference Library.
GVRL&userGroupName=plattsbg_main&tabID=T003&searchId=R2&resultList&contentSegment=
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.dosgHitCount&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=
&search¤tPosition=1&contentSet=GALE%7CCX3401801963&&docId=GALE|CX3401801963&doc.
.