Human Genome Project

The Human Genome Project (HGP) is a U.S. government project with the goal of mapping the entire genetic structure of humans. The project has raised a host of ethical issues and has complicated existing ethical topics involving genetics. Among these issues are those surrounding both prenatal and adult genetic testing, the proper use of genetic information rift gold and genetic profiling, gene therapy, gene patents, genetic enhancement of individuals, and issues involving the just distribution of genetic resources.

A gene is the fundamental unit of heredity. It is a nucleotide (a sequence of DNA) that contains instructions for making proteins, the basis of cellular structure and metabolism. The genome refers to the DNA contained in each cell, including so-called junk DNA (more than 98% of DNA), which does not code for proteins. The genotype is the entire genetic structure of the organism, which includes all the genes in the organism. The phenotype refers to the physical traits of an organism; these are not only determined by the genotype but also by environmental factors. Genomics is the study of genes, focusing on their role in disease processes. Pharmacogenomics studies the way in which drugs interact within a person’s body based on that individual’s genotype.

History of the Human Genome Project
In 1984, the Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored what was later labeled the “Alta Summit” in Alta, Utah. Ostensibly, the conference’s goal was to find better means of detecting mutations in atomic bomb survivors, but discussions expanded to encompass genetic research in general. The summit catalyzed further discussion, including the possibility of mapping the human genome. As a result, Charles DeLisi, director of the DOE Health and Environmental Research Programs, formally proposed the Human Genome Project in 1986. After considerable debate and two failed bills in Congress, the HGP was funded as a joint project of the DOE and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and it began in 1990. The goal was to complete the mapping of the human genome by 2005. In 1998, Craig Venter’s company, Celera Genomics, began its own version of the HGP. His goal was to patent genes and gene sequences for eventual profit via selling rights for their use to pharmaceutical firms and other interested companies. His work was more cost-efficient than the federal project, costing only 10% of the official HGP. It is possible that the competition between the two projects speeded the process of sequencing the genome, and on June 26, 2000, U.S. President Clinton and U.K. Prime Minister Blair jointly announced the completion of a rough draft of the human genome. The full project was “completed” in 2003, 2 years ahead of schedule, with Celera and the NIH/DOE group making the announcement on April 14. Work on details and potential applications of the HGP will go on indefinitely.

Potential Benefits of the Human Genome Project
The HGP is thought to have great potential for improving human health. First, the genes associated with debilitating and fatal diseases could be identified. Genes for cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease, a genetic-linked disease in which victims, usually around the age of 40, begin to suffer degeneration of brain tissue and eventual death, have already been discovered. The HGP opens the possibility of discovering genetic links to such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease and some cancers; the BRCA gene, for example, has been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer in women. Once the genes linked to a disease are identified, research can then focus on methods of gene therapy to cure or mitigate such gene-linked conditions.

A second, more controversial, potential benefit of the HGP is the possibility of improving the human species. If certain genes could be found that are linked to athleticism or high intelligence, then gene therapy could be used to make “designer babies,” with genetic traits correlated to the skill of their parents’ choice. Many geneticists dispute the possibility of such improvements,rift gold arguing that (1) most genetic-linked traits do not involve only a single gene but rather the interaction of multiple genes and (2) the environment plays an indispensable role in the expression of the phenotype.