The genetic mystique of ‘me’ medicine
By Donna Dickenson,
The Globe and Mail
| 08. 28. 2010
[Opinion]
We are on the leading edge of a true revolution in medicine," Francis Collins, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, says in his new book, The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine - "one that promises to transform the traditional 'one size fits all' approach into a much more powerful strategy that considers each individual as unique and as having special characteristics that should guide an approach to staying healthy. But you have to be ready to embrace this new world."
This seismic shift toward genetic personalized medicine promises to give each of us insight into our deepest personal identity - our genetic selves - and let us sip the elixir of life in the form of individually tailored testing and drugs. But can we really believe these promises?
Genetic personalized medicine isn't the only important new development. Commercial ventures such as private blood banks play up the uniqueness of your baby's umbilical-cord blood. Enhancement technologies such as deep-brain stimulation - "Botox for the brain" - promote the idea that you have a duty...
Related Articles
By Annika Inampudi, Science | 08.01.2025
In June, Sara* received a message asking whether she wanted to continue to participate in a massive, multicenter research project led by scientists at Aarhus University in Denmark. The iPsych study, the message said, had sequenced her genetic data from...
The Center for Genetics and Society is delighted to recommend the current edition of GMWatch Review – Number 589. UK-based GMWatch, a long-standing ally, was founded in 1998 by Jonathan Matthews as an independent organization seeking to counter the enormous corporate political power and propaganda of the GMO industry and its supporters. Matthews and Claire Robinson are its directors and managing editors.
CGS works to ensure that social justice, equity, human rights, and democratic governance are front...
By Katherine Drabiak, Journal of Medical Ethics Forum | 08.07.2025
Adapted from Mitochondrial DNA at
National Human Genome Research Institute
Recently, media outlets around the world have been reporting on children born from pronuclear genome transfer (sometimes called “3-parent IVF,” “mitochondrial donation” or “mitochondrial replacement therapy”) at Newcastle Fertility Center...
By Annika Inampudi, Science | 07.10.2025
Before a baby in the United States reaches a few days old, doctors will run biochemical tests on a few drops of their blood to catch certain genetic diseases that need immediate care to prevent brain damage or other serious...
