phpsystems
05-22-03, 09:06 AM
By Reuters Health
May 5, 2002 (ATLANTA) — The explosion of knowledge about the genetic roots of disease will lead physicians to prevent more illness than they treat, a leading geneticist predicted at a medical meeting on Thursday.
"For at least 9 of the 10 leading causes of death in the US, genetic factors play a role," said Dr. Alan E. Guttmacher, senior clinical advisor to the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. "Clinicians will be in the forefront of bringing the Human Genome Project to patients. We hope it will be used in healthy people — for prevention."
In less than 10 years, physicians will be able to prevent heart disease, diabetes, and cancer — diseases that affect millions of people — using genetic research, Guttmacher said.
"Almost everyone in our society has some concern about heart disease, diabetes, cancer or stroke," he said. "With genetic information, we can direct patients to the dietary and behavioral changes that prevent these diseases. Also, having a genetic window into (the causes of) diseases will help us understand disease processes at a much more basic level. This knowledge allows us to study diseases in much more sophisticated ways than ever before."
Within a few years, Guttmacher said it will be possible to collect patients' DNA from cells taken from inside the cheek and put that sample on a microchip, where it will be analyzed for the 50 most common genetic variations that predispose people to various diseases. Such technology would make traditional ways of questioning patients about family medical histories obsolete.
"Family histories are very important to take, but realize that you're getting pretty lousy data," he said. "Six to 10 percent of the American public will give you wrong answer when asked who their father is. The DNA microchip will give you an accurate picture."
All human DNA should be mapped or "sequenced" by the Human Genome Project by 2003, experts predict. But that information alone won't improve anyone's life. "It's figuring out how this translates into health that will be the interesting and important part," said Guttmacher.
For example, knowledge of each patient's genetic makeup could lead to individualized treatment regimens. "Drug companies are heavily investing in pharmacogenomics," he explained. "Understanding genetic variation in how drugs will affect individuals is important. How drugs are metabolized is affected by many things, including genes."
Guttmacher predicted that the practice of clinical endocrinology will change radically with information about the genetic roots of diseases such as diabetes. Within just a few years, this knowledge could lead to population-based screening. Those at risk could then begin preventive therapies before they develop symptoms.
"You will see many patients in the future who aren't sick with any kind of (hormone-related disease)," he told the endocrinologists at the meeting. "They will come in simply because they have a disposition for developing endocrine problems. They want to talk to you about how they can first recognize symptoms so they can get treatment early or prevent them altogether. It will be a different and wonderful way for many of us to practice," Guttmacher added.
May 5, 2002 (ATLANTA) — The explosion of knowledge about the genetic roots of disease will lead physicians to prevent more illness than they treat, a leading geneticist predicted at a medical meeting on Thursday.
"For at least 9 of the 10 leading causes of death in the US, genetic factors play a role," said Dr. Alan E. Guttmacher, senior clinical advisor to the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. "Clinicians will be in the forefront of bringing the Human Genome Project to patients. We hope it will be used in healthy people — for prevention."
In less than 10 years, physicians will be able to prevent heart disease, diabetes, and cancer — diseases that affect millions of people — using genetic research, Guttmacher said.
"Almost everyone in our society has some concern about heart disease, diabetes, cancer or stroke," he said. "With genetic information, we can direct patients to the dietary and behavioral changes that prevent these diseases. Also, having a genetic window into (the causes of) diseases will help us understand disease processes at a much more basic level. This knowledge allows us to study diseases in much more sophisticated ways than ever before."
Within a few years, Guttmacher said it will be possible to collect patients' DNA from cells taken from inside the cheek and put that sample on a microchip, where it will be analyzed for the 50 most common genetic variations that predispose people to various diseases. Such technology would make traditional ways of questioning patients about family medical histories obsolete.
"Family histories are very important to take, but realize that you're getting pretty lousy data," he said. "Six to 10 percent of the American public will give you wrong answer when asked who their father is. The DNA microchip will give you an accurate picture."
All human DNA should be mapped or "sequenced" by the Human Genome Project by 2003, experts predict. But that information alone won't improve anyone's life. "It's figuring out how this translates into health that will be the interesting and important part," said Guttmacher.
For example, knowledge of each patient's genetic makeup could lead to individualized treatment regimens. "Drug companies are heavily investing in pharmacogenomics," he explained. "Understanding genetic variation in how drugs will affect individuals is important. How drugs are metabolized is affected by many things, including genes."
Guttmacher predicted that the practice of clinical endocrinology will change radically with information about the genetic roots of diseases such as diabetes. Within just a few years, this knowledge could lead to population-based screening. Those at risk could then begin preventive therapies before they develop symptoms.
"You will see many patients in the future who aren't sick with any kind of (hormone-related disease)," he told the endocrinologists at the meeting. "They will come in simply because they have a disposition for developing endocrine problems. They want to talk to you about how they can first recognize symptoms so they can get treatment early or prevent them altogether. It will be a different and wonderful way for many of us to practice," Guttmacher added.