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Genetics in the News
Personalized genomes go mainstream (Nature ) "In the next few months, two Silicon Valley start-ups will start giving customers a peek at their genomes for a few thousand dollars a pop. ..." [Related: Knome, Inc. | Personal Human Genome Sequencing "Knome is the first firm to offer whole-genome sequencing and analysis services to private clients. ..."]
People Are Human-Bacteria Hybrid "Most of the cells in your body are not your own, nor are they even human. ..."
Technology Review: Next-Generation Sports Doping "New drugs in clinical trials for muscle-wasting diseases could become the next big thing for athletes. ..." [Related: Warning on genetic cheating in sports (MSNBC) "Genetic manipulation will eventually dwarf drug-cheating as the main issue to confront sports ..."]
Genomics Forum "The new Genomics Forum of the American Public Health Association was approved this month. ..."
Sell My DNA "Did you know you can sell your DNA sequence to research companies looking to obtain a patent for it? In fact, the largest patenter of genetic material New Line Genetics will pay you at least $5,000 for the chemical sequence that makes you the person you are! ..."
Holier than thou? Employees who believe they are 'ethical' or 'moral' people might not be "Our research suggests that a moral identity motivates behavior, but that accurate, ethical judgments are needed to set that behavior in the right direction ..."
BBC NEWS | UK | Should we all be testing our DNA? "More and more people in the UK are following America's lead in spending hundreds of pounds on private genetic tests. ..." [Related: The perils of unlocking your genetic code (Telegraph) "DNA tests can now predict your future health but do you want to know the answer? ..." Is There a Heart Attack In Your Future? (Wall Street Journal) "Genetic Tests Promise to Map Your Personal Health Risks But Some Question Usefulness ..." DIY genetic test: I want to know the worst (Independent ) "A simple genetic test can predict your risk of getting cancer, heart disease or Alzheimer's. But do you really want to be told? ..."]
Bioethics Forum - DNA Profiling: Invaluable Police Tool or Infringement of Civil Liberties? ..."
The Invincible Man - washingtonpost.com "Aubrey de Grey, 44 Going on 1,000, Wants Out of Old Age ..." [Related: Drug commonly used to treat bipolar disorder dramatically increases lifespan in worms ... Two preeminent aging experts are on opposing sides of a bet that someone living today will be alive in 2150 (Best Life Magazine ) " At stake is not only a wager but also the answer to fundamental questions about the biology of aging and the ability we have to stretch our life span. ..."]
New Policy Report Outlines Options for Governance of Synthetic Genomics "Policy experts set out to analyze the state of the technology in synthetic genomics and to develop a comprehensive set of options for policy makers, researchers, and companies in the field. The report includes options that help to enhance biosecurity, foster laboratory safety, and protect the communities and environment outside of laboratories. ..."
"Nutrigenetic" diets may aid weight loss: study (Reuters ) "Creating personalized diets, based on an individual's genetic makeup, helps overweight individuals lose weight and keep it off, the results of a new study suggest. ..."
Govt. wants better genetic testing regulation (MSNBC) "Report expresses concern that screenings aren't consistently monitored ..."
Nascent stem cell company raises ethical and medical issues (San Francisco Chronicle) "A startup is offering to create "personalized" stem cells from the spare embryos of fertility clinic clients on the chance that the cells, frozen and stored away, may some day help a family member benefit from medical breakthroughs. ..."
Addressing the Fallout Of Newborn Screening (WSJ) "Government and Researchers Seek to Reduce False Positives Improve Physician Education and Follow-Up for Families ..."
Australia to Keep Troops' DNA Records (The Associated Press) "Australia is following its U.S. and British allies in establishing a DNA repository for its 90,000 regular and reserve troops. ..."
Profs link criminal behavior to genetics (Daily Pennsylvanian) "With just a simple swab of the cheek, a geneticist can test for MAOA levels in an individual's body and therefore predict whether he or she is predisposed to violent acts ..."
How Big is the Genetic Genealogy Market? (The Genetic Genealogist ) "The number of people who have undergone genetic genealogy testing might be as high as 600,000 to 700,000 people. Additionally, this number appears to be growing by as much as 80,000 to 100,000 per year. ..."
Genotype data of families with autism are released (Nature News) "Last week, raw genotype data from 4,250 individuals including people with autism, their parents and their siblings were made public by the Autism Consortium ..."
Gene Master (Reason Magazine) "How a private researcher won the race to decode the human genome ..."
Genetics in the Literature
(2007). "Developing genetics for developing countries." Nat Genet 39(11): 1287-1287.
"Understanding human genome function and variation will require developing genetics capacity in population-rich as well as resource-rich regions of the globe. Medicine based in genetics provides a route for developing countries to improve healthcare, from primary care, via prevention of genetic diseases to opportunities for new research. ..."
(2007). "Genome abuse." Nature 449(7161): 377-378.
"I consider whether this race is the same scientific object as that produced by race science and whether these race-making practices are animated by similar social and political logics. I consider the styles of reasoning characteristic of the scientific work together with the economic and political rationalities of neo-Iiberalism, including identity politics as it meets biological citizenship. I seek to understand why and how group-based diversity emerges as an object of value something to be studied and specified, something to be fought for and embraced, and something that is profitable in the networks that sustain the world of (post)genomics today. ..."
"Strategic planning for the prevention and care of genetic disorders, and for genomic research, within the context of Islamic religion and culture is promising and may provide lessons to the developed world. Islamic bioethics provides fundamental principles for genetic counseling, particularly in regard to consanguinity, which was part of the Arabian culture long before Islam but which was discouraged by the second Islamic khalifa. These fundamental principles are important for implementing many preventive and genomic research programs and for maintaining flexibility to respond to new biomedical technologies. ..."
Alter, S. G. (2007). "Race, language, and mental evolution in Darwin's descent of man." J Hist Behav Sci 43(3): 239-55.
"Charles Darwin was notoriously ambiguous in his remarks about the relationship between human evolution and biological race. He stressed the original unity of the races, yet he also helped to popularize the notion of a racial hierarchy filling the gaps between the highest anthropoids and civilized Europeans. A focus on Darwin's explanation of how humans initially evolved, however, shows that he mainly stressed not hierarchy but a version of humanity's original mental unity. ..."
Andrews, L. (2007). "A novel approach to public policy." MLO Med Lab Obs 39(6): 48.
Barash, C. I. (2007). "Threats to Privacy Protection." Science 318(5852): 913c-914.
"Psychopharmacological enhancers, as well as other enhancement technologies, raise moral questions concerning the boundary between clinical therapy and enhancement, risks and safety, coercion and justice. Other moral questions include the meaning and value of identity and authenticity, the role of happiness for a good life, or the perceived threats to humanity. Identity and authenticity are central in the debate on psychopharmacological enhancers. In this paper, I first describe the concerns at issue here. I argue that DeGrazia’s line of reasoning does not succeed in settling these concerns. His conception of identity does not seem able to account for the importance we attach to personal identity in cases where personal identity is changed through enhancement technology. Moreover, his conception of authenticity does not explain the reason why we find inauthentic values objectionable. A broader approach to authenticity can make sense of concerns about changes in personal identity by means of enhancement technologies. ..."
Brunet, A. (2007). "Aging and cancer: killing two birds with one worm." Nat Genet 39(11): 1306-1307.
"Two new studies explore the genetic mechanisms connecting aging and tumor growth in Caenorhabditis elegans. This work should provide a basis to consider ways to prevent and treat age-dependent cancers. ..."
de la Lastra, C. A. and I. Villegas (2007). "Resveratrol as an antioxidant and pro-oxidant agent: mechanisms and clinical implications." Biochem Soc Trans 35(Pt 5): 1156-60.
"The present paper is intended to provide the reader up-to-date information on the antioxidant and pro-oxidant properties of resveratrol and its clinical implications. ..."
De Rango, F., S. Dato, et al. (2007). "A novel sampling design to explore gene-longevity associations: the ECHA study." Eur J Hum Genet.
"To investigate the genetic contribution to familial similarity in longevity, we set up a novel experimental design where cousin-pairs born from siblings who were concordant or discordant for the longevity trait were analyzed. Although no significant difference emerged between the two groups of cousin-pairs, our study gave new insights on the hindrances to recruiting a suitable sample to obtain significant IBD data on longevity-related chromosomal regions. ..."
Dickinson, A. M., J. L. Harrold, et al. (2007). "Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: can our genes predict clinical outcome?" Expert Rev Mol Med 9(29): 1-19.
"Genome-wide association studies are finally leading geneticists straight to the genetic susceptibility factors for complex diseases. Several challenges lie ahead, including translation of the findings into practical public health outcomes, and integrating genetic analysis with broader biological understanding. ..."
"We explore the problematic notion of ownership of the body and genetic material in some cultural settings and shift the "conceptual lens" through which the issue is viewed to one that is more appropriate to indigenous thoughts about genes and DNA. We then use the example of New Zealand to indicate some ways in which culturally informed conceptualisations can transform some of the ethical issues involved in genetic information and property disputes and underpin recommendations in this area of bioethics and health care research. ..."
"This paper reports findings from a small exploratory study of the membership of NHS research ethics committees in a case study English region. In particular, this revealed the dominance of medical practitioners, other health service professionals and academics, with most 'lay' members seen as non-experts and often either retired or serving as hospital chaplains. Despite this, there are some encouraging signs in the wider policy environment that may mean the link between service user involvement and research ethics becomes more established in the future. ..."
"This paper considers some of the social and cultural issues that arise from scientific advances in the selection, modification and engineering of human and other species, and their implications for improving health and extending life. It suggests that while visionary talk abounds, the new genetics has not yet begun to fulfil its promises in these areas. Examples, based on the author's own research, range from the mapping of the human genome, and the development of proteomics, to the application of stem cell technologies in South Korea, India and the United Kingdom. In particular, the paper highlights the importance of the robust regulation of informed consent procedures to under pin good governance in these new bio-technologies. It concludes that this account is a cautionary tale of a 'promissory science', where experience suggests that hype may once more triumph over hope. ..."
Gutierrez de Mesa, E., I. Hidalgo, et al. (2007). "Modeling the impact of genetic screening technologies on healthcare: theoretical model for asthma in children." Mol Diagn Ther 11(5): 313-23.
" This study focuses on the potential impact of genetic screening technologies on healthcare. Genetic screening for asthma in children was chosen as a case study to explore the cost effectiveness of applying early genetic screening to infants, and preventive treatment to the population at risk. Preventive treatment based on an early genetic screening of those children who present wheezing episodes during the first year of life, with treatment applied to those who test positive for the asthma-associated genetic marker ADAM33 ST+7, is theoretically cost effective. The model is a valuable tool for the ex ante assessment of the cost effectiveness of preventive schemes based on genetic screening. The value of modeling prior to clinical trials lies in informing study design and setting priorities for future research. ..."
"This paper discusses the policy debate and ethical discussion surrounding pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for sibling donor (SD) in Germany and Israel. We argue the fact that PGD (in general) and PGD for SD (in particular) have been banned in Germany, but were endorsed without hesitation in Israel, has to do with different perceptions of family ethics within the two societies. Furthermore, we argue that this factor contributes significantly to the more general understanding of German and Israeli policies regarding NRTs. ..."
"A move is afoot, therefore, to develop a principle of benefit-sharing through which to guarantee some form of returns to research subjects. This paper tracks some of the implications of the rise of this new ethic, tracing its travels from the world of bioprospecting to clinical and genetics research, and exploring how and why benefit-sharing matters to Latourian notions of science as politics. What might it mean, both for bioscience and for our ideas about politics and publics more generally, to think of research not just as a mode of speaking for in Latourian terms, but as a mode of giving back? I argue that in shifting the problem from one of dialogue to one of distribution, benefit-sharing proposals are also implicated in the constitution of the biosciences' publics in new ways. ..."
Himmel, W. and H. W. Michelmann (2007). "Access to genetic material: reproductive technologies and bioethical issues." Reprod Biomed Online 15 Suppl 1: 18-24.
"A more open discussion and a flexible application of ethical principles may be more helpful, such as: (i) considering DNA as a biological data file which allows potential access to a person's biography or identity; (ii) reconciling the protection of the early embryo with patients' needs; and (iii) placing both the mother and her embryo at the centre of bioethical and legal considerations, instead of exclusively relying on ethical principles and expert opinions with regard to the embryo alone. To continue the success of assisted reproduction, more attention should be given to the 'lifeworld' philosophy, as some authors have put it. ..."
Hughes, D. A. and M. Pirmohamed (2007). "Warfarin pharmacogenetics: economic considerations." Pharmacoeconomics 25(11): 899-902.
Iyengar, S. K. and R. C. Elston (2007). "The genetic basis of complex traits: rare variants or "common gene, common disease"?" Methods Mol Biol 376: 71-84.
"A schism emerged in the field, with hot debates regarding two competing hypotheses being publicly waged. These opposing hypotheses pertained to the anticipated allelic spectrum and frequency of disease variants associated with common, complex disease. The common disease, common variant hypothesis (CD/CV) stated that a few common allelic variants could account for the genetic variance in disease susceptibility, whereas the rare variant (CD/RV) hypothesis stated that DNA sequence variation at any gene causing disease could encompass a wide range of possibilities, with the most extreme being that each mutation is only found once in the population. A current review of the literature suggests that both these hypotheses are correct, depending on the gene and disease examined. ..."
Jasanoff, S. (2007). "Technologies of humility." Nature 450(7166): 33-33.
"Researchers and policy-makers need ways for accommodating the partiality of scientific knowledge and for acting under the inevitable uncertainty it holds. ..."
Joly, P.-B. and A. Rip (2007). "A timely harvest." Nature 450(7167): 174-174.
"The public should be consulted on contentious research and development early enough for their opinions to influence the course of science and policy-making. ..."
"The aim of this study was to analyze the risk of erroneous conclusions in immigration cases and to propose alternative procedures to current methods to reduce the risk of making such errors. We present an overview of error rates (of falsely included men as the true father and of falsely excluded true fathers) for fairly standard computations, and we show how these are affected by different factors. ..."
Kelly, K., H. Leventhal, et al. (2004). "Cancer genetics knowledge and beliefs and receipt of results in Ashkenazi Jewish individuals receiving counseling for BRCA1/2 mutations." Cancer Control 11(4): 236-44.
"Genetic counseling is helpful in improving overall knowledge of cancer genetics even for highly educated individuals. Particular areas of knowledge improvement should be explored in relation to receipt of results, especially to further elucidate the relationship of knowledge of the association of multiple primary cancers with hereditary cancer to receipt of test results. ..."
Khneisser, I., S. M. Adib, et al. (2007). "Cost-benefit analysis of G6PD screening in Lebanese newborn males." J Med Liban 55(3): 129-32.
"ITo assess the cost-effectiveness of G6PD deficiency screening in the routine work-up of every male newborn in Lebanon. The efficiency of routinely testing evidenced here supports changes in screening policies for boys. ..."
"A survey of Nature Biotechnology's authors reveals many paths to commercial success. ..."
"The goal of this study is to motivate trauma researchers to reflect on the role genetic variation may play in vulnerability and resilience following trauma exposure. Evidence from family, twin, and molecular genetic studies for genetic influences on PTSD is reviewed. ..."
Macias, W., K. Pashupati, et al. (2007). "A Wonderful Life or Diarrhea and Dry Mouth? Policy Issues of Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising on Television." Health Commun 22(3): 241-52.
"This study found that emotional and rational appeals were used to a similar degree in DTCA-TV. Print tends to be more informative than TV. After developing a four-tiered classification scheme (lawbreakers, bare minimums, DTC main pack/peloton and proactives), this study found that DTCA-TV ads are not doing a good job of meeting the FDA's fair balance requirement, particularly in presenting risk information in a comprehensible manner. Today's new active healthcare consumers often want to learn what issues are important to consider when investigating drugs and how to evaluate alternative courses of treatment. Given the proportion of money spent on television, the medical industry is correct to be concerned that education does not appear more important to DTCA advertisers. ..."
"This article explores three characteristics of research on reproductive genetic technologies that complicate the assessment of the risk-benefit ratio for such research. First, a number of different people may be affected by a research protocol, raising the question of who should be considered to be the subject of reproductive genetic research. Second, such research could involve a wide range of possible harms and benefits, making the evaluation and comparison of those harms and benefits a challenging task. Finally, the risk-benefit ratio for this type of research is difficult to estimate because such research can have unpredictable, long-term implications. The article aims to facilitate the assessment of risk-benefit ratios in research on reproductive genetic technologies by proposing and defending some guidelines for dealing with each of these complicating factors. ..."
"To date few variants strongly influencing global performance have been identified. One such is the presence (Insertion, I allele) rather than absence (Deletion, D allele) of a DNA segment in the gene encoding angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE): The I allele has been associated with fatigue resistance/endurance, and the D-allele with strength gain. ..."
NHS National Genetics Education and Development Centre (2007). The experiences and preferences of people receiving genetic information from healthcare professionals
"Those interviewed did not expect all healthcare professionals to have detailed knowledge of all genetic conditions, but did feel that healthcare professionals should be more willing to consider the possibility of a genetic condition, to refer patients for information or investigations and to take their concerns seriously. One of the main conclusions of the project is that there remains a need for greater awareness of genetic aspects of conditions amongst healthcare professionals. ..."
Partridge, L. and D. Gems (2007). "Benchmarks for ageing studies." Nature 450(7167): 165-167.
"The hopes for improving human health during ageing are largely based on studies with animal models. But Linda Partridge and David Gems ask if we are learning the right lessons from ageing research. ..."
Piribo (2007). Gene Therapy: Technologies, Markets and Companies
"Profiles of 192 companies involved in developing gene therapy are presented along with 214 collaborations. Despite suffering several setbacks, the market for gene therapy shows tremendous potential for growth as witnessed both by the large number of products in trial and the mushrooming of several companies. ..."
"In this study, we examine the role of HLA genes, cytokine genes, and cell surface receptor genes as examples of how genetic polymorphism leads to individual and population variations in immune responses to vaccines. In turn, this data, in concert with new high-throughput technology, inform the immune-response network theory to vaccine response. Such information can be used in the directed and rational development of new vaccines, and this new golden age of vaccinology has been termed "predictive vaccinology", which will predict the likelihood of a vaccine response or an adverse response to a vaccine, the number of doses needed and even whether a vaccine is likely to be of benefit (i.e., is the individual at risk for the outcome for which the vaccine is being administered?). ..."
"The genetic processes of MRSs operate in a complex hierarchy of factors which range from intracellular molecular factors to physiological, psychological, environmental, and other stochastic factors, including chance. This view also facilitates setting up a framework for understanding, researching, and developing effective and realistic strategies for aging intervention, prevention, and therapies. Manipulating genes and the milieu in which genes and gene products operate opens up novel possibilities of aging intervention and prevention. ..."
Riggs, A. L. and T. A. Giuliano (2007). "Running in the Family or Swimming in the Gene Pool: Discriminating between Family History and Genetic Risk in Illness Perceptions." J Health Psychol 12(6): 883-94.
"The present study sought to understand how the genetic component of a disease affects individual's risk perceptions. Specifically, participants read three scenarios that asked them to imagine that they had either genetic, ambiguous, of no family history for a hypothetical disease and to imagine that their parents' lifestyles were either healthy or unhealthy. As expected, when participants received an ambiguous family history (rather than a genetic history or no family history), they rated a healthy diet and exercise as more effective at preventing the disease when their parents lifestyles were discribed as unhealthy rather than healthy (N = 97). ..."
" To investigate patients' interest in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) as a method for aneuploidy screening and their willingness to participate in a clinical trial using PGD. Many women undergoing IVF are interested in the possibility of utilizing PGD for aneuploidy screening. Better evidence is needed regarding outcomes using PGD for this indication before it can be routinely incorporated into practice. A clinical trial using PGD in this setting appears possible because a majority of the patients, in this survey, would be willing to participate. ..."
Sivell, S., G. Elwyn, et al. (2007). "How Risk is Perceived, Constructed and Interpreted by Clients in Clinical Genetics, and the Effects on Decision Making: Systematic Review." J Genet Couns.
"We systematically reviewed the literature, undertaking a narrative synthesis of 59 studies presenting data on the ways in which individuals perceive, construct and interpret their risk, and the subsequent effects. While most studies assessed perceived risk quantitatively, the combined evidence suggests individuals find risk difficult to accurately quantify, with a tendency to overestimate. Rather than being a stand-alone concept, risk is something lived and experienced and the process of constructing risk is complex and influenced by many factors. While evidence of the effects of perceived risk is limited and inconsistent, there is some evidence to suggest high risk estimations may adversely affect health and lead to inappropriate uptake of medical surveillance and preventative measures by some individuals. ..."
Suarez-Kurtz, G., D. D. Vargens, et al. (2007). "Self-reported skin color, genomic ancestry and the distribution of GST polymorphisms." Pharmacogenet Genomics 17(9): 765-71.
"We compared the effectiveness of color-based and marker-based biogeographical ancestry classifications in typing polymorphisms in GSTM1, GSTM3 and GSTT1 in the heterogeneous Brazilian population. Interethnic admixture is a source of cryptic population structure that may lead to spurious genotype-phenotype associations in pharmacogenetic/-genomic studies. Logistic regression modeling of GST polymorphisms shows that admixture must be dealt with as a continuous variable, rather than proportioned in arbitrary subcategories for the convenience of data quantification and analysis. ..."
Taylor, P. L. (2007). "Rules of engagement." Nature 450(7167): 163-164.
"Although the primary goal of preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) is to increase pregnancy rates in women undergoing IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment, it has been suggested that it may also be used as an alternative to prenatal testing for Down syndrome. Most women favor PGS for Down syndrome screening, even if it is not 100% sensitive. The acceptability depends on the effect PGS has on pregnancy chances, and, to a lower extent on its sensitivity to detect Down syndrome embryos. ..."
"Technologies purported to extend human life are already being marketed widely, and are being used by community members, despite a lack of evidence on their efficacy or safety: in fact, the use of some putative anti-aging technologies (e.g., human growth hormone) is illegal. Existing regulation is proving to be ineffective, especially in the face of Internet sales. Further advances in the field of life extension are a distinct possibility, exacerbating the need for a policy response. This paper presents the preliminary results of a study of community attitudes to life extension, with a focus on attitudes to the control and availability of strong life-extending technologies. ..."
Waltz, E. (2007). "Tracking down tissues." Nat Biotech 25(11): 1204-1206.
"FDA inspections of tissue banks remain a work in progress, and no clear path yet exists for procuring human tissues for biomedicine or drug development. ..."
Wandeler, P., P. E. Hoeck, et al. (2007). "Back to the future: museum specimens in population genetics." Trends Ecol Evol.
"Museums and other natural history collections (NHC) worldwide house millions of specimens. As we discuss here, we believe that NHC specimens provide a largely underutilized resource for such investigations. However, because DNA extracted from NHC samples is degraded, analyses of such samples are technically demanding and many potential pitfalls exist. Thus, we propose a set of guidelines that outline the steps necessary to begin genetic investigations using specimens from NHC. ..."
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