The Personal Genome Map: A Necessary Precaution, or Too Much Information?
by Juli Mosoff
On May 30th, 2007, internationally renowned genetics scientist James Watson received the first personal genome map to be issued since the results of the Human Genome Project, or HGP, were published in April 2003. Watson's genome map shows the exact sequencing of all the genes located in his DNA and includes a myriad of information about his genetic structure, including details about the genetic illnesses he is predisposed to developing. Scientists hope that personal genome maps will soon become more affordable so that they can be integrated into everyday medical practices, alerting common citizens to the illnesses they should be looking out for. But many people are wondering if knowing every imperfection on your own genome map is beneficial or just a classic case of 'too much information.'
The creation of the Human Genome Map could not have been possible without the research of James Watson and Francis Crick, both of whom worked to discover the chemical structure of the deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, molecule in 1953. Their groundbreaking research created a modern-day visual representation of DNA that shows the spiraling, ladder-shaped structure of the molecule known as the double helix. In 1962 Watson and Crick were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine, which they shared with fellow scientist Maurice Wilkins. The discovery of the double helix showed exactly how genes are formed in DNA by the complex pairing of four chemical bases that are arranged in varying combinations and lengths. These base pairs make up the "rungs" of the ladder and can be structured in over three billion ways. The complex structure of these base pairs is what holds each person's genetic information.
After the discovery of DNA, scientists began to wonder exactly how many combinations of the base pairs could be formed into the distinct genes found in a human being. The Human Genome Project, or HGP, was launched and directed by Watson in the mid-1980s as a way to map out the human genome in its entirety. Extensive research was conducted in seeking the combinations of the four base sequences with the hope that the final result of the project would lead to an increase in knowledge of genetics, and to promote understanding of many hereditary disorders that are passed through genes. Completed in April 2003, the HGP declared that there are between 30,000 and 40,000 genes in every human being, also stating the location and function of each gene. The completion of the HGP led to the development of personal genome maps that show the specific alignment of the base pairs that make up the DNA in a single person.
Even though the map that was presented to Watson is the first of its kind and was both time-consuming and expensive, scientists hope to lower the cost of the maps so that the public can afford them. Scientists also hope that widespread use of these maps can help people discover that they are predisposed to curable illnesses, giving them information about what diseases they should be regularly tested for and which behaviors they should change in order to prevent them from developing.
However, questions have been raised over whether this information will lead to unfair treatment and discrimination from insurance companies and employers who could refuse to insure or hire a person who is at risk for illnesses that are expensive to treat. There are also other ethical questions that need to be answered before genome mapping becomes available to everyone. Although the information contained in a genome map may be useful for the prevention of many diseases, researchers also wonder if the map will cause unnecessary anxiety in people once they know what lies in their genes. After all, even though the map points out which diseases a person could possibly develop, it does not indicate that illnesses will definitely develop. Instead the maps may only cause needless concern in otherwise happy, healthy people.
Even Watson, who agreed to be the first person to have his personal genome map sequenced and published, stated that there were some information in his genes that he would rather not know about. He chose not to see the area that would show if he was at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, the currently incurable illness that his grandmother died from. He stated that if he discovered that he carried the gene responsible for the illness, he would forever regard every normal slip of memory as a symptom of the disease, even if the momentary memory loss was completely unrelated to a medical issue. Watson decided that he would rather live without this knowledge. Maybe the rest of humanity should too.
Sources:
1. Begley, Sharon. "Reading the Book of Jim; The co-discoverer of the double helix is making his DNA public, pioneering the 'personal genome.'." Newsweek. 04 June 2007. 14 June 2007. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18881823/site/newsweek/>.
2. "Scientist James Watson of DNA fame gets his own genome map." International Herald Tribune. 31 May 2007. 14 June 2007. <http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/31/america/NA-GEN-US-Human-Genome-Watson.php>.
3. "The next frontier: Genome map offers more good than harm." Newsday. 5 June 2007 <http://www.newsday.com/search/ny-vpwat055243096jun05,0,49255.story>.
4. An Overview of the Human Genome Project. National Human Genome Research Institute. January 2007. 14 June 2007. <http://www.genome.gov/12011238>.
5. James Watson Biography. Academy of Achievement. 05 February 2005. 14 June 2007. <http://www.genome.gov/12011238>.
