This Week in CGREAL

a newsletter of the Center for Genetic Research Ethics & Law in the Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University

June 14 , 2007 

Home * Genetics in the News * Genetics in the Literature * Archive

Genetics in the News

Genome of DNA Discoverer Is Deciphered - New York Times "The full genome of James D. Watson, who jointly discovered the structure of DNA in 1953, has been deciphered, marking what some scientists believe is the gateway to an impending era of personalized genomic medicine. ..." (Related: The Discoverer’s DNA "The question of what we want to know — and don’t want to know — about what our genes can tell us will only grow with time."... Celebrity genomes alarm researchers : Nature "Some researchers expressed concerns that sequencing prominent scientists first will make personal genomics look like a tool for the rich and privileged ..."... Gene Sherpas: Why Watson Didn't Want His ApoE4 Results ..." )

Abortion - Genetic Testing - New York Times "As prenatal tests make it possible to identify fetuses that will have mental retardation, deafness, early-onset Alzheimer s disease and a range of other conditions, such personal deliberations are adding a new layer to the fraught political debate over abortion. ..."

Embryos to be screened for squint "A clinic in London is to genetically screen embryos for a couple to ensure their baby is not born with a squint. ..."

Insurers mull cancer gene tests "UK insurers have told an advisory body they may seek approval to use the results of genetic tests for inherited cancers in setting premiums after 2007. ..."

This Diabetic Lady Tested Negative For The DeCode T2 Marker Test! "I received my results from DNA Direct yesterday. I was a little surprised at first. My test showed that I did not test positive for the T2 risk marker for type 2 diabetes. But don t I have type 2 diabetes? ..."

Largest ever study of genetics of common diseases published today "The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium, the largest ever study of the genetics behind common diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and coronary heart disease, today publishes its results in the journals Nature and Nature Genetics ..."

Sick Genes: Scientific American "Researchers uncover gene mutations that contribute to disease by screening the genomes of thousands of healthy and ill people ..."

6 Billion Bits of Data About Me, Me, Me! - New York Times "Just what we will do with the essence of who we are once we bottle it, however, is likely to be as much a social experiment as a scientific one. ..."

Wired Science - Wired Blogs "There's a new wrinkle in the argument over patenting life: can you patent synthetic life? ..." (Related: Our Synthetic Futures - Newsweek "What might happen if we repurpose biology to our own ends? ...")

New Centre Will Offer Dna Tests To Trace Family Roots"Swabbing kits will boost ancestral tourism economy as clan associations show huge interest ..."(Related: The swizz family Robsons "A dna study has revealed astonishing news for the region's large number of Robsons. Some of us - apparently - are fakes. ..." ... DNA test may solve the name game for outlawed MacGregors "But now, the latest advances in DNA technology are being used for the first time by the Clan Gregor Society to welcome "lost" clansmen back into their fold. ..." University of Glamorgan "The Wellcome Trust are funding a study to create a genetic map of historical inward migration to the British Isles. ..." )

The Gathering of the Tribe "Recent scientific research and DNA testing has shown that today s descendents of the biblical priesthood known as Kohanim are genetically related. Now, the members of this extended family are being invited to participate in the first family reunion ..."

2007 Amendments to the National Academies' Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research "The new report makes several amendments to the 2005 National Academies’ Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research based upon feedback from the community. ..."

CEO Highlights Plans for First Commercial Adult Stem Cell Bank Derived from Fat and Medical Devices Aimed at Plastic Surgeons and Liposuction Patients "... the first commercial adult stem cell processing and banking facility in the U.S. that is focused on harvesting non-controversial stem cells from fat ..."

Turning off gene makes mice smarter "Turning off a gene that has been associated with Alzheimer's disease made mice smarter in the lab, researchers said on Sunday in a finding that lends new insight on learning and may lead to new drugs for memory problems. ..."

Hopes Dashed: Women Don't Generate New Eggs - Yahoo! News "A couple years back, however, research on mice suggested eggs might be generated later in life. That gave a glimmer of hope to women who suffered infertility problems.

But the hope has apparently been dashed by a new study led by University of South Florida biologists Lin Liu and David Keefe. ..."

Science Reporters' Seminar on Genome-Wide Association Studies "The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) offered a seminar on Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) to leading science reporters from major media around the United States. The videos and PowerPoint slides from the seminar are online. ..." (Related: Unhealthy Advocacy: Journalists and Health Screening Tests "What journalists are missing in their coverage of screening tests ...")

The Informed Patient - WSJ.com "Online patient groups,, as the cumulative power of their memberships grows, are becoming invaluable partners to researchers and physicians searching for cures. ..."

Aboriginal Peoples given stronger voice in health research "Aboriginal Peoples will now have greater involvement in the planning, execution and sharing of research outcomes conducted with their communities, as a result of new research ethics guidelines recently released . ..."

Biomedical philanthropy: State of the donation ""By all accounts, the amount of money from non-profit foundations and philanthropists is growing strikingly. ..." (Related: Public donates to UW scientist to fund backward-in-time research "The public has stepped forward with cash to boldly go where nobody in the mainstream scientific establishment wants to go ...")

Diving into the gene pool "As athletes rely more and more on technology, where does talent end and science begin ..."

Bioethics Forum - Racial Alchemy: Bioethics and the Skin Tone Gene "Since the 2005 discovery that the SLC24A5 gene variant plays a sizable role in human skin pigmentation, scientists have become increasingly intrigued by the possibility of genetically manipulating skin color. Curiously, however, this research is going on with little mention of the dreaded R word: race. ..."

Gene advances bring ethical quandaries - The Boston Globe "Should they tell the patients whose DNA was used in the research that they may be at risk for a serious illness? At present, that's almost taboo because of privacy policies governing most medical research. ..."

Gene quest - The Boston Globe "It's not a diagnostic tool yet, but so-called "genome-wide association" research has over the past months produced dramatic results linking hitherto unexplored patches of genetic terrain with such common killers as heart disease and diabetes. ..."

Travel documents to include DNA: report "Canadians will inevitably have to carry travel documents with their DNA, biometrics or other biological identifiers in order to ensure secure border travel to the United States, according to a new white paper to be revealed to government officials in Ottawa today. ..."

Genetic Passport Will Foretell the Future "Scientists of Russian Academy of Sciences and Moscow State University have proposed a research program for studying molecular and genetic base of human individual. ..."

CARTaGENE || A Genetic Map of Quebec "CARTaGENE s data and sample bank will be a unique and scientifically very valuable resource. Results of studies conducted using CARTaGENE will be immediately relevant to the population of Québec. ..."

Human-animal embryos move nearer to reality "Scientists are a step closer to creating human-animal chimera embryos after the Government performed a U-turn over banning the controversial research. ..."

Medical research scientists make ethical value judgments in research "Medical research scientists in public health and other areas routinely make ethical value judgments, even if they're not aware of it. And not only do these judgments not lead to bias necessarily, but they can make for better research. ..." (Related: THE MYSTIQUE OF GENETIC CORRECTNESS "Scientists, despite what fables say, usually conform to the reigning values in the comfy milieus in which they usually grow up. ...")

New findings challenge established views about human genome "ENCODE research consortium uncovers surprises related to organization and function of human genetic blueprint ..."

Assessment for basic research needs fine tuning, policy experts say "Assessing the impact of basic science in terms of economic returns can be a futile and self-defeating exercise ..."

Time runs short for HapMap "Geneticists at the genomics meeting in Cold Spring Hrbor, New York, last week celebrated the success of the International HapMap project - and predicted its eventual demise. ..."

Genome project turns up evolutionary surprises : Nature "Findings reveal how DNA is conserved across animals ..."

The Real Story on Gay Genes | DISCOVER Magazine "Homing in on the science of homosexuality and sexuality itself ..."

To Gattaca and beyond "Today, we have two pieces of the three-piece genetic puzzle. Soon we will have all three pieces. Then the world of Gattaca, now science fiction, may become a reality. ..."

Moral psychology: The depths of disgust : Nature "Is there wisdom to be found in repugnance? Or is disgust 'the nastiest of all emotions', offering nothing but support to prejudice? ..."

Encyclopaedia of humble DNA : Nature "Researchers of the ENCODE consortium have analysed 1% of the human genome. Their findings bring us a step closer to understanding the role of the vast amount of obscure DNA that does not function as genes. ..."

First trial of gene therapy to restore human sight"The first clinical trial using gene therapy to treat a vision disorder has begun, involving 12 patients with an inherited condition that causes childhood blindness. ..."

NPR : Digging Up a Dog's Family History "Did you ever wonder about the lineage of the family mutt? Baltimore Sun reporter John Woestendiek did. And he wound up writing about his efforts to track his dog's origins, including his genetic history. ..."

Decoding Your DNA Destiny "Just about everything you ever wanted to know but may have been afraid to ask out about decoding your own genes is covered in a blowout package in the current issue of Forbes. ..." (Also in this issue: Genes Of The Rich And Famous ... Will You Get Cancer? ... 12 Gene Tests That Could Change Your Life)

The Genetic Genealogist - » Top 5 Reasons to Save Your Grandmother s DNA ..."

Specially Bred Mice May Hold Keys to Personalized Medicine "The mice were specially bred to contain just about any genetic predisposition in humans. They should help scientists determine which drugs are dangerous -- or more effective -- for individuals before they reach the market. ..."

One Scientist's Junk Is a Creationist's Treasure"That's one of the key findings of the opossum genome-sequencing project, and a surprising group is embracing the results: intelligent-design advocates. ..."

Dietary preferences and patterns may be linked to genes "The relative amount of protein, carbohydrate, and fat that people choose to eat may be influenced by genetics, according to new research. ..." Heart-disease hunt "Two independent groups have identified single-nucleotide polymorphisims, or SNPs, that confer significantly increased risk of heart disease in white people. .." BRCA2 carriers at increased risk for deadly form of prostate cancer"Carriers of a BRCA2 variation specific to Iceland are more likely to develop aggressive and lethal prostate cancer than noncarriers ..." Genes underlie both hyperactivity and poor grades: study | Science | Reuters "Hyperactive behavior and difficulty in school share the same genetic roots, conclude the authors of a new study of twins. ...

The truth about HRT "Why, then, are so many women so relaxed about using it? And why do some doctors insist that the dangers are exaggerated? ..." (Related: Lipoic acid explored as anti-aging compound "Researchers said today they have identified the mechanism of action of lipoic acid, a remarkable compound that in animal experiments appears to slow down the process of aging, improve blood flow, enhance immune function and perform many other functions. ..." ...Aetna will stop paying for dubious hormone treatments. "Aetna has announced that as of October 1, 2007, it will no longer cover about 25 types of "bioidentical hormones" and compounded thyroid drugs....")

 

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Genetics in the Literature

 

(2007). "Geneticist seeks engineer: must like flies and worms." Nat Meth 4(6): 463-463.

"Phenotyping is rapidly becoming the limiting step in genetic studies of model organisms. Increasing throughput is a technological challenge that calls for engineers. ..."

(2007). "Toward a General Theory of Research Ethics." Hastings Center Report 37(3): 3-3.

(2007). "The Curious Case of Off-Label Use." Hastings Center Report 37(3): 9-11.

(2007). " FACING UP TO Paternalism IN RESEARCH ETHICS." Hastings Center Report 37(3): 24-34.

(2007). "Rethinking "Normal."" Hastings Center Report 37(3): 44-47.

(2007). "Identification and analysis of functional elements in 1% of the human genome by the ENCODE pilot project." Nature 447(7146): 799-816.

Antebi, A. (2007). "Ageing: When less is more." Nature 447(7144): 536-537.

"Restricting dietary intake is one way to promote longevity. The identification of two genes that specifically mediate this effect in worms provides insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying ageing. ..."

Armstrong, K., K. L. Ravenell, et al. (2007). "Racial/Ethnic Differences in Physician Distrust in the United States." Am J Public Health: AJPH.2005.080762.

"Racial/ethnic differences in physician distrust are less uniform than previously hypothesized, with substantial geographic and individual variation present. ..."

Bugl, H., J. P. Danner, et al. (2007). "DNA synthesis and biological security." Nat Biotech 25(6): 627-629.

Colgrove, J. (2007). State of Immunity: The Politics of Vaccination in Twentieth-Century America, University of California Press.

"This first comprehensive history of the social and political aspects of vaccination in the United States tells the story of how vaccination became a widely accepted public health measure over the course of the twentieth century. Unlike other procedures, it is performed on healthy people, most commonly children, and has been mandated by law. Vaccination thus poses unique ethical, political, and legal questions. ..."

Conrad, P. (2007). The Medicalization of Society: On the Transformation of Human Conditions into Treatable Disorders, Johns Hopkins University Press

"Peter Conrad explores the changing forces behind this trend with case studies of short stature, social anxiety, "male menopause," erectile dysfunction, adult ADHD, and sexual orientation. He examines the emergence of and changes in medicalization, the consequences of the expanding medical domain, and the implications for health and society. He finds in recent developments such as the growing number of possible diagnoses and biomedical enhancements the future direction of medicalization. Conrad contends that the impact of medical professionals on medicalization has diminished. Instead, the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries, insurance companies and HMOs, and the patient as consumer have become the major forces promoting medicalization. ..."

Diabetes Genetics Initiative of Broad Institute of Harvard and Mit,, et al. (2007). "Genome-Wide Association Analysis Identifies Loci for Type 2 Diabetes and Triglyceride Levels." Science 316(5829): 1331-1336.

"The discovery of associated variants in unsuspected genes and outside coding regions illustrates the ability of genome-wide association studies to provide potentially important clues to the pathogenesis of common diseases. ..."

Dick, D. M., F. Aliev, et al. (2007). "Association of CHRM2 with IQ: Converging evidence for a gene influencing intelligence." Behavior Genetics 37(2): 265-272.

"We find evidence of association with multiple SNPs across CHRM2 and Performance IQ, as measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R). These results remain significant after taking into account alcohol dependence and depression diagnoses in the sample. ..."

Draelos, Z. D. (2007). "What is anti-aging?" J Cosmet Dermatol 6(2): 73-4.

Elliott, C. (2007). "The Mixed Promise of Genetic Medicine." N Engl J Med 356(20): 2024-2025.

Epstein, S. (2007). Inclusion: The Politics of Difference in Medical Research, University of Chicago Press.

"As a society, we have learned to value diversity. But can some strategies to achieve diversity mask deeper problems, ones that might require a different approach and different solutions? With Inclusion, Steven Epstein argues that in the field of medical research, the answer is an emphatic yes. ..."

Fay, J. C. and P. J. Wittkopp (2007). "Evaluating the role of natural selection in the evolution of gene regulation." Heredity 23: 23.

"Here, we review the various methods that have been used to test for signs of selection in genomic expression data. We also discuss properties of regulatory systems relevant to neutral models of gene expression. Despite some potential caveats, published studies provide considerable evidence for adaptive changes in gene expression. F ..."

Festing, S. and R. Wilkinson (2007). "The ethics of animal research. Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research." EMBO Rep. 8(6): 526-30.

Forrest, L. E., M. B. Delatycki, et al. (2007). "Communicating genetic information in families - a review of guidelines and position papers." Eur J Hum Genet 15(6): 612-618.

"This article aims to review ethical and clinical guidelines and policies addressing the communication of genetic information in families. Only two recommendations suggested that the health professional should support their clients by identifying at-risk family members, but more guidelines recommended that directive counselling should be undertaken to encourage clients to communicate genetic information to their family members. In conclusion, the guidelines provide an overview of the role that genetic health professionals may undertake; however, there are gaps that need to be addressed. ..."

Gannon, F. (2007). "Animal rights, human wrongs? Introduction to the Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research." EMBO Rep. 8(6): 519-20.

Gannon, F. (2007). "Market economy for scientists." EMBO Rep. 8(6): 517.

Green, R. M. (2007). "Can we develop ethically universal embryonic stem-cell lines?" Nat Rev Genet 8(6): 480-485.

"Human embryonic stem-cell (hESC) research faces opposition from those who object to the destruction of human embryos. Over the past few years, a series of new approaches have been proposed for deriving hESC lines without injuring a living embryo. Each of these presents scientific challenges and raises ethical and political questions. Do any of these methods have the potential to provide a source of hESCs that will be acceptable to those who oppose the current approaches? ..."

Grey, A. D. N. J. d. (2006). "SENS Survives the Challenge: Now Let's Get to Work." Rejuvenation Research 9(4): 429-430.

Groop, L. (2007). "From fused toes in mice to human obesity." Nat Genet. 39(6): 706-7.

"Although common obesity has a strong genetic component, there has been little success in the discovery of the underlying genetic causes. This has now changed, as two independent studies demonstrate strong association between variants in a gene called FTO and obesity. ..."

Henrikson, N. B., W. Burke, et al. (2007). "Ancillary risk information and pharmacogenetic tests: social and policy implications." Pharmacogenomics J 8: 8.

"To evaluate evidence and assess the social and policy implications of ancillary disease risk information associated with candidate pharmacogenetic variants, We conducted a literature search and abstract review of disease susceptibility studies for each of 42 gene variants potentially associated with drug response. Pharmacogenetic tests have the potential to provide ancillary disease risk information, and this potential should be considered as pharmacogenetic tests are brought into clinical use. ..."

Holm, S. (2007). "Should genetic information be disclosed to insurers? Yes." BMJ 334(7605): 1196-.

Hudson, K. L. (2007). "Prohibiting Genetic Discrimination." N Engl J Med 356(20): 2021-2023.

Hunter, P. (2007). "Inevitable or avoidable? Despite the lessons of history, the world is not yet ready to face the next great plague." EMBO Rep. 8(6): 531-4.

Kass, N. E., A. M. Medley, et al. (2007). "Access to health insurance: Experiences and attitudes of those with genetic versus non-genetic medical conditions." American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A 143A(7): 707-717.

"The goal of this study was to document and compare the health insurance experience, attitudes, and beliefs of persons with genetic conditions to those of persons with or at risk for other serious medical conditions. We interviewed approximately 100 adults or parents of children That individuals with all six health conditions expressed concern regarding their ability to obtain future health insurance suggests policy proposals should be broad-based, addressing the needs and concerns of individuals with diverse health conditions. ..."

King, D. G. and Y. Kashi (2007). "Mutability and evolvability: Indirect selection for mutability." Heredity 16: 16.

Kroese, M., R. L. Zimmern, et al. (2007). "How can genetic tests be evaluated for clinical use? Experience of the UK Genetic Testing Network." Eur J Hum Genet.

Lerner, J. C. (2007). "Rescuing Science From Politics: Regulation and the Distortion of Scientific Research." Journal of Legal Medicine 28(2): 283 - 292.

Mason, C. and P. Dunnill (2007). "Translational regenerative medicine research: essential to discovery and outcome." Regenerative Medicine 2(3): 227-229.

Multhaupt-Buell, et al. (2007). "Genetic service providers' practices and attitudes regarding adolescent genetic testing for carrier status." Genetics in Medicine 9(2): 101-107.

"Purpose: To characterize current practices and attitudes regarding testing adolescents for carrier status., Methods: Electronic survey of 294 genetic service providers from various professional organizations.Testing adolescents for carrier status is common for at least some conditions. The guidelines regarding genetic testing of adolescents may need to be updated to reflect current concerns and practices.,..."

Nasto, B. (2007). "Biotech at the beauty counter." Nat Biotech 25(6): 617-619.

Ormond, K. E., M. Iris, et al. (2007). "What do Patients Prefer: Informed Consent Models for Genetic Carrier Testing." J Genet Couns 11: 11.

"Eight high-literacy focus groups were conducted to assess the knowledge and preferences of pregnant patients and their male partners. Most groups indicated that some balance between details and brevity was optimal, recognizing that anxiety can occur when patients are provided with too much information and that the wide range of tests offered during pregnancy often led to confusion. ..."

Pachter, L. (2007). "Interpreting the unculturable majority." Nat Meth 4(6): 479-480.
"The field of genomics is thereby being transformed into metagenomics, where the genomes of many interacting individuals and species are considered as a whole. ..."

Patthy, L. (2007). "A general theory of gene sharing." Nat Genet. 39(6): 701.

Pielke, R. A. (2007). The Honest Broker - Making Sense of Science in Policy and Politics, Cambridge University Press.

"Scientists have a choice concerning what role they should play in political debates and policy formation, particularly in terms of how they present their research. This book is about understanding this choice, what considerations are important to think about when deciding, and the consequences of such choices for the individual scientist and the broader scientific enterprise. ..."

Reed, D. H. (2007). "Selection and the rate of loss of genetic variation: Natural selection and genetic diversity." Heredity 16: 16.

Rollin, B. E. (2007). "Animal research: a moral science. Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research." EMBO Rep. 8(6): 521-5.

Roses, A. D., A. M. Saunders, et al. "Complex disease-associated pharmacogenetics: drug efficacy, drug safety, and confirmation of a pathogenetic hypothesis (Alzheimer's disease)." The Pharmacogenomics Journal aop(current).

Salter, B. (2007). "Patenting, morality and human embryonic stem cell science: bioethics and cultural politics in Europe." Regenerative Medicine 2(3): 301-311.

Savitz, D. A. (2007). "Delimiting the role of ethical reasoning in epidemiology." European Journal of Epidemiology 22(4): 211-213.

Sedding, D. and J. Haendeler (2007). "Do We Age on Sirt1 Expression?" Circ Res 100(10): 1396-1398.

Shuchman, M. (2007). "Drug Risks and Free Speech -- Can Congress Ban Consumer Drug Ads?" N Engl J Med 356(22): 2236-2239.

Slaughter, L. M. (2007). "Your Genes and Privacy." Science 316(5826): 797-

Speakman, J. R. and C. Hambly (2007). "Starving for life: what animal studies can and cannot tell us about the use of caloric restriction to prolong human lifespan." J Nutr 137(4): 1078-86.

"The feasibility of restricting intake in humans for many decades without long-term support is questionable. However, what is unclear from animal studies is whether taking drugs that suppress appetite will generate the same impact on longevity or whether the neuroendocrine correlates of hunger play an integral role in mediating CRs effects. ..."

Trumble, P. D. (2007). ""Knickel" and dime issues: an unexplored loophole in New York's genetic discrimination statute and the viability of genetic testing in the sports employment context." Albany Law Rev 70(2): 771-93.

Ungerer, M. C., L. C. Johnson, et al. (2007). "Ecological genomics: understanding gene and genome function in the natural environment." Heredity 23: 23.

"We submit that by considering more fully an ecological context, researchers may gain additional insights into the underlying genetic basis of ecologically relevant phenotypic variation. Likewise, genomic approaches are beginning to offer new insights into higher-level biological phenomena that previously occupied the realm of ecological investigation only.. ..."

Warren, L. L., A. R. Hughes, et al. "Use of pairwise marker combination and recursive partitioning in a pharmacogenetic genome-wide scan." The Pharmacogenomics Journal aop(current).

Watts, G. (2007). "The locked code." BMJ 334(7602): 1032-1033.

Wolinsky, H. (2007). "Bioethics goes global. A growing coalition of scientists, ethicists and wealthy benefactors is turning its attention to global health problems." EMBO Rep. 8(6): 534-6.

Yashin, A. I., K. G. Arbeev, et al. (2007). "Cumulative Index of Elderly Disorders And Its Dynamic Contribution to Mortality And Longevity." Rejuvenation Research 10(1): 75-86.

 

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