The potential prizes certainly glitter. In the far future, it may be possible to prevent genetic diseases from being inherited by cutting them out of the gene pool once and for all, so-called gernline engineering. At the nearer end of the time scale, genetic tests are allowing people to choose suitable therapies and lifestyles to beat disease. And in between, lie further tantalising prospects; thousands of new drugs for previously untreatable diseases; drugs tailored to individuals, so with far fewer side effects, the ability to replace faulty genes, short-circuiting diseases at source.
But the work of turning the base pair data into the gold of new treatments has already begun, according to Dr Francis Collins, head of the US National Human Genome Research Institute. "I keep a tally of the genes that are responsible for human diseases that are identified over the course of a year. In a good year, in times gone by, there might have been two or three. Last year, there have been 29 discovered. "
Private companies have also combed the data to find genes that play roles in diabetes, asthma, psoriasis and migraines. The most extreme suggested use for the human genome data is editing the DNA inheritance passed down from one generation to the next. Such a scenario involves identifying an abnormal gene and then correcting it in the cells which are used to pass genetic information to offspring. No subsequent generation would then be affected by their ancestors’ gene defect. However, such irreversible .intervention with the code for life will only be allowed after major ethical reservations and safety concerns over possible unexpected results of the changes are addressed.
There is little doubt that the revelation of the human genome will benefit healthcare in the short and long term. But many of the treatments will be expensive and will do nothing to avoid the damage caused by viral and bacterial diseases. It has been suggested that a brave new world awaits us in which all ailments can be monitored from a daily mouth swab inserted into a DNA reader in our bathroom cabinets. But Dr. Ian Purvis says, "It could be that like, a long time in the future, but that is based on the rather arrogant view humanity has that it will understand everything we find—and we never have in the past. "