DNA Lady
April 25 is National DNA Day, a day created to commemorate the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, and to commemorate the discovery of DNA's double helix structure.
How important is this? To some families, it could mean life or death. Recently reported in Forbes magazine, a 5 year old boy was diagnosed in Turkey with Bartter' syndrome which is a potentially fatal kidney disorder that afflicts one in 100,000 babies. In order to confirm the local doctor's diagnosis they sent a blood sample to Yale Medical School. Rather than confirm if the Turkish doctor's diagnosis was correct, the geneticist went a step further a deciphered the DNA letters for all the baby's genes. Just a few years ago, such extensive gene sequencing would have been too expensive and time consuming. The baby's gene scan revealed that the problem was not Bartter's but something else called congenital chloride diarrhea, which also lower salt levels. The baby, now doing better on a speical diet, was treated with the proper drugs for his condition. This is one of the first cases where results of DNA gene sequencing altered treatment of a patient. Gene sequencing will be a final or last resort to try and identify causes of diseases and with the introduction of two new systems, the cost to sequence a whole genome may be reduced to just below $3,000. by year end. The use of DNA sequencing has not yet been approved for medical testing and insurance won't pay for sequencing but there are those who are willing to state that soon a DNA sequence will cost less than an MRI and certainly will more information to improve care.
Predictive genetic tests are already on the market for consumers. Your local DNA collector, who, heretofore has been collecting DNA for family relationship testing such as paternity, grand paternity, maternity, siblingship or as a meansure of additional security offering Child Safety Identification, can now offer to private consumers a predictive genetic screen describing the client's lifetime risk vs. the population risk to succumb to more than 25 autoimmune and other diseases. A simple call to your local DNA collector and within a week, you could be on your way to a healthier and better quality of life. Knowledge is power and if you are strong minded enough to know your risk you can develop a lifestyle that can perhaps delay or eliminate diseases. It is very important to understand that having a risk does not always translate into getting full blown symptoms of a disease. Your environment plays a very big role in the development of a disease.
Sequencing tumors in cancer patients have enabled doctor's to switch medicines that disable the growth of certain proteins, thereby shrinking the tumor. This DNA Stuff - there's just so much to talk about - it is not always baby daddy drama.
However, DNA sequencing takes shape in the future, local New Jerseyians and private consumers in the Metropolitan area have a local DNA collector to offer t hem insight into their own genetic risks and that information along with advice from your doctor may be the key to the sandwich generation and their offspring's better quality of life.
