What is the Human Genome Project?
The Human Genome Project is an international research program involving publicly-funded and private research organizations. Their goal has been to construct a complete map of the human genome, place the estimated 50,000 - 100,000 genes which make up the genome, and analyze the data in order to develop gene therapy treatments for many human diseases.
The public portion of the program has involved the National Human Genome Research Institute, the Department of Energy, the Whitehead Institute in Carmbridge, Mass., the Wellcome Trust in Great Britain, Washington University School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, and researchers in Japan and Germany. Celera, a private firm in Maryland, has also been working on the project.
It is important to understand that this is in reality a "rough draft" of the genome, and that much more research will be necessary before the information can be used to treat diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
What does this mean for me?
Your height, hair color, eye color, and many, many other characteristics are determined by your DNA. It's a complex, 3 billion letter "code" of what makes us who we are. For many years, scientists have been trying to map all of the chemical sequences in this elusive code, in order to better understand how the human body functions, and eventually, to find better ways to treat the illnesses which affect it.
By mapping the genome, new drug treatments, gene therapies, and even methods to prevent genetic defects before birth can be developed. However, these great breakthroughs are still many years away. It is estimated that completely identifying, characterizing, and organizing the massive amounts of information could take another hundred years.
There are three steps in reaching a point where human DNA can be understood and used.
- Sequencing - researchers have completed most of this phase, identifying 3.5 billion chemical "letters" in human DNA.
- Assembling - the next step is to put these "letters" in the correct order, so that they can "read" individual genes.
- Annotating - finally, scientists will identify each gene and what function it performs in the body. By finding genetic variations in individuals, they can determine what genetic changes in the body cause certain diseases, and how to treat these genetic changes.
What is gene therapy?
Advances in gene therapy, using the information gained from the Human Genome Project, may eventually allow us to treat, and even prevent, diseases such as heart disease, Parkinson's, and cancer.
Gene therapy involves inserting correct genes into the body, in place of genes which are not functioning correctly. Basically, our DNA is like an instruction book for creating the proteins in our bodies. These proteins are responsible for everything from creating the organs and tissues in our bodies to enabling us to think, feel, and move. When a protein references the DNA for instructions, it may access a page from the instruction book which contains incorrect information, resulting in disease. Through gene therapy, corrected information can be inserted into the body, treating or preventing disease.
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