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Subject: Re: [DNA] Degrees in Genetic Genealogy (studying designer drugs)
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 10:58:09 EST
>As far as designer drugs being a reality, perhaps my definition is a little
stricter than yours. I'm thinking of >drugs that are formulated, based upon
a specific individual's genome--and ones without side-effects. >Hopefully,
we'll get there some day, but we're certainly not there yet. I don't see that
your Crohn's disease >drug example has any relevance in this context.
--------
I don't think you realize that billions of dollars are being
spent right now on what you are proposing.
_http://www.biologicdrugreport.com/what.htm_ (http://www.biologicdrugreport.com/what.htm)
gives a list of 25 drug companies that are working on exactly
what you are talking about, that is coming up with drugs that
are formulated based upon a specific individual's genome,
and ones that have very fewer side effects. Because some of
the newer drugs have so few side effects, the FDA is permitting a
huge number of people to participate in clinical trials as we speak.
.
As soon as Centicor's Remicade came out, Abbott started
working on a fully humanized Humira for arthritis. The drugs
just keep on getting safer, more specific and easier to use.
Now that the Human Genome Project is a reality, there will
be an explosion in newer, safer drugs. As soon as a deleterious
gene product is identified for a particular disease, a designer
biologic drug is patented to counteract the disease. Believe me,
the technology to try to make these drugs safer is following along
just as rapidly as the monoclonal antibodies are being produced.
.
Now how might genetic genealogists get involved? Let me give
you a totally hypothetical example:
Supposing that you as a genealogist have identified a group
of distant relatives who all happen to have a disease called Z and
through personal genome testing these same individuals have genes
2345 and 4567 on chromosome 1 and genes 123 and 345 on chromosome 2.
People on this list are already talking about tracking their relatives
now that the genome tests are becoming cheaper so it would not be
surprising if you inadvertently come up with a disease association.
.
These same relatives could also have gene 3456 on chromosome
1 and 234 on chromosome 2 between the other genes but not know it
because science has not discovered these mutations yet. So maybe
you have inherited all the genes that are linked to the segments in
genes 1 and 2. Wouldn't a biologic drug company want to study all
your familial genes between 2345 - 4567 on chromosome 1 and between
123 - 345 on chromosome 2 looking for a promoter gene plus a disease
gene because lets say both are necessary for the disease. Maybe
promoter gene 234 turns on gene 3456 that codes for disease Z. Now
there is a designer monoclonal antibody that can be made that easily
turns off promoter gene 234, stops the gene products of 3456 and
cures disease Z before permanent damage is done. Maybe this drug
will be useful for treating other diseases that need promoter gene
234 as well. The best part about these designer drugs is that they
can often alter the course of a disease. We now have the technology
to design drugs that can cure you before a disease even starts. We also
now have computer savvy genealogists who can find people with these
diseases and follow incredibly long pedigrees of affected individuals.
It seems like a win-win situation to me if people are willing to cooperate.
Kathy J.
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