Box 5
Some current benefits
· A few drugs, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), are marketed with a genetic test available to supplement the assessment of the patient's suitability for receiving the drug before prescription (Sir John Pattison, Q 6).
· The BRCA-2 gene is being used as a predictive diagnostic for breast cancer (Dr Dexter, Q 66).
· Advances in gene-profiling of leukaemic cells have enabled the correct type of leukaemia to be diagnosed so that appropriate treatments can be instigated (Dr Dexter, Q 66).
· The new discoveries are helping to develop the understanding of gene function. For example, the single gene cause of one form of muscular dystrophy affects the actions of 96 other genes (Sir George Radda, Q 65).
· 1100 disease-related genes (mainly for single-gene disorders) are documented on specialised databases, leading to new screening tests and improvements in diagnosis and disease prediction[23].
· The sequencing of the genomes of infectious organisms (such as the tuberculosis bacillus) is helping to understand the mechanisms of infection and to develop new vaccines and treatments (Sanger Centre, Appendix 5).
· In forensic applications, the National DNA Database has resulted in 100,000 matches between individuals and scenes of crime, including those responsible for 212 murders, 671 rapes and 479 serious robberies (Dr Werrett, Q 187).
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