Gene Drives on the Horizon
Gene Drives on the Horizon

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2016-08-28

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 0309437873

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Research on gene drive systems is rapidly advancing. Many proposed applications of gene drive research aim to solve environmental and public health challenges, including the reduction of poverty and the burden of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue, which disproportionately impact low and middle income countries. However, due to their intrinsic qualities of rapid spread and irreversibility, gene drive systems raise many questions with respect to their safety relative to public and environmental health. Because gene drive systems are designed to alter the environments we share in ways that will be hard to anticipate and impossible to completely roll back, questions about the ethics surrounding use of this research are complex and will require very careful exploration. Gene Drives on the Horizon outlines the state of knowledge relative to the science, ethics, public engagement, and risk assessment as they pertain to research directions of gene drive systems and governance of the research process. This report offers principles for responsible practices of gene drive research and related applications for use by investigators, their institutions, the research funders, and regulators.

Heritable Human Genome Editing
Heritable Human Genome Editing

Author: The Royal Society

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2021-01-16

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 0309671132

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Heritable human genome editing - making changes to the genetic material of eggs, sperm, or any cells that lead to their development, including the cells of early embryos, and establishing a pregnancy - raises not only scientific and medical considerations but also a host of ethical, moral, and societal issues. Human embryos whose genomes have been edited should not be used to create a pregnancy until it is established that precise genomic changes can be made reliably and without introducing undesired changes - criteria that have not yet been met, says Heritable Human Genome Editing. From an international commission of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the U.K.'s Royal Society, the report considers potential benefits, harms, and uncertainties associated with genome editing technologies and defines a translational pathway from rigorous preclinical research to initial clinical uses, should a country decide to permit such uses. The report specifies stringent preclinical and clinical requirements for establishing safety and efficacy, and for undertaking long-term monitoring of outcomes. Extensive national and international dialogue is needed before any country decides whether to permit clinical use of this technology, according to the report, which identifies essential elements of national and international scientific governance and oversight.

Case Studies in Genes and Disease
Case Studies in Genes and Disease

Author: Bryan Bergeron

Publisher: ACP Press

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 193051350X

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Progress in the field of genetics is moving faster and demonstrating accomplishments unlike ever before. Genes marking for specific diseases and methods in gene therapy are evolving rapidly and being incorporated into daily patient care. Ethical issues are under constant debate by politicians, journalists, and laymen. All health care providers need to stay informed on the research, the applicability to patient management, and the moral issues involved. Case Studies in Genes and Disease tackles all these issues for those who need it most: busy clinicians who daily see patients needing to know how advances in genetic research and therapy affect their health. Written for practitioners who are not geneticists, it does not presume an expert's familiarity with the subject. From fundamentals to specific diseases to "the dark side" of genetics, Case Studies in Genes and Disease will educate, intrigue, and astound you.

Mitochondrial Case Studies
Mitochondrial Case Studies

Author: Russell Saneto

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2015-11-24

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 0128011491

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Mitochondrial Case Studies: Underlying Mechanisms and Diagnosis offers the science behind mitochondrial disease with a case studies approach. Since mitochondrial diseases are diverse and influenced by genetic, environmental, and social-economic factors, this publication will help students, physicians, scientists, health care students, and families recognize and accurately diagnose mitochondrial disease and learn about potential treatments. - Reviews case studies as a helpful teaching tool to increase awareness and improve diagnosis - Provides information on underlying mechanisms of mitochondrial disease - Includes basic mitochondrial dysfunction research through patient case studies to best illustrate the entire disease process

Assessing Genetic Risks
Assessing Genetic Risks

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1994-01-01

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 0309047986

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Raising hopes for disease treatment and prevention, but also the specter of discrimination and "designer genes," genetic testing is potentially one of the most socially explosive developments of our time. This book presents a current assessment of this rapidly evolving field, offering principles for actions and research and recommendations on key issues in genetic testing and screening. Advantages of early genetic knowledge are balanced with issues associated with such knowledge: availability of treatment, privacy and discrimination, personal decision-making, public health objectives, cost, and more. Among the important issues covered: Quality control in genetic testing. Appropriate roles for public agencies, private health practitioners, and laboratories. Value-neutral education and counseling for persons considering testing. Use of test results in insurance, employment, and other settings.

Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment
Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2006-11-07

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0309133815

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Over the past century, we have made great strides in reducing rates of disease and enhancing people's general health. Public health measures such as sanitation, improved hygiene, and vaccines; reduced hazards in the workplace; new drugs and clinical procedures; and, more recently, a growing understanding of the human genome have each played a role in extending the duration and raising the quality of human life. But research conducted over the past few decades shows us that this progress, much of which was based on investigating one causative factor at a time—often, through a single discipline or by a narrow range of practitioners—can only go so far. Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment examines a number of well-described gene-environment interactions, reviews the state of the science in researching such interactions, and recommends priorities not only for research itself but also for its workforce, resource, and infrastructural needs.

Human Genome Editing
Human Genome Editing

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-08-13

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0309452880

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Genome editing is a powerful new tool for making precise alterations to an organism's genetic material. Recent scientific advances have made genome editing more efficient, precise, and flexible than ever before. These advances have spurred an explosion of interest from around the globe in the possible ways in which genome editing can improve human health. The speed at which these technologies are being developed and applied has led many policymakers and stakeholders to express concern about whether appropriate systems are in place to govern these technologies and how and when the public should be engaged in these decisions. Human Genome Editing considers important questions about the human application of genome editing including: balancing potential benefits with unintended risks, governing the use of genome editing, incorporating societal values into clinical applications and policy decisions, and respecting the inevitable differences across nations and cultures that will shape how and whether to use these new technologies. This report proposes criteria for heritable germline editing, provides conclusions on the crucial need for public education and engagement, and presents 7 general principles for the governance of human genome editing.

Human Genome Epidemiology, 2nd Edition
Human Genome Epidemiology, 2nd Edition

Author: Muin J. Khoury

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2010-01-20

Total Pages: 701

ISBN-13: 0195398440

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The first edition of Human Genome Epidemiology, published in 2004, discussed how the epidemiologic approach provides an important scientific foundation for studying the continuum from gene discovery to the development, applications and evaluation of human genome information in improving health and preventing disease. Since that time, advances in human genomics have continued to occur at a breathtaking pace.With contributions from leaders in the field from around the world, this new edition is a fully updated look at the ways in which genetic factors in common diseases are studied. Methodologic developments in collection, analysis and synthesis of data, as well as issues surrounding specific applications of human genomic information for medicine and public health are all discussed. In addition, the book focuses on practical applications of human genome variation in clinical practice and disease prevention. Students, clinicians, public health professionals and policy makers will find the book a useful tool for understanding the rapidly evolving methods of the discovery and use of genetic information in medicine and public health in the 21st century.

The Genetics of Cancer
The Genetics of Cancer

Author: B.A. Ponder

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 9401106770

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It has been recognized for almost 200 years that certain families seem to inherit cancer. It is only in the past decade, however, that molecular genetics and epidemiology have combined to define the role of inheritance in cancer more clearly, and to identify some of the genes involved. The causative genes can be tracked through cancer-prone families via genetic linkage and positional cloning. Several of the genes discovered have subsequently been proved to play critical roles in normal growth and development. There are also implications for the families themselves in terms of genetic testing with its attendant dilemmas, if it is not clear that useful action will result. The chapters in The Genetics of Cancer illustrate what has already been achieved and take a critical look at the future directions of this research and its potential clinical applications.