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August 08, 2005
Genetics in the literature
Genetics in the Literature
(all available on request)
Development
and validation of tools to assess genetic discrimination and genetically
based racism.
J Natl Med Assoc. 2005 Jul; 97(7): 980-90
Parrott RL, Silk KJ, Dillow MR, Krieger JL, Harris TM, Condit CM
It is possible that communication from mass media, public health
or consumer advertising sources about human genetics and health may
reify stereotypes of racialized social groups, perhaps cueing or exacerbating
discriminatory and racist attitudes. This research used a multifaceted
approach to assess lay perceptions of genetic discrimination and genetically
based racism (N = 644). Two tools for use in strategic planning efforts
associated with communicating about human genetics and health, the
genetic discrimination instrument (GDI) and the genetically based
racism instrument (GBRI), were derived. We recommend application of
these screening tools prior to national dissemination of messages
associated with genes and disease susceptibility, including school
and university-based curricula.
Variation
in gene expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells
from healthy volunteers.
Physiol Genomics. 2005 Jul 12
Eady JJ, Wortley GM, et al
The normal degree of intra- and inter-individual variation in gene transcription profiles of healthy human tissues was studied in white blood ceels. Transcript levels for the majority of genes examined were found to be remarkably consistent within samples from a single donor, while, marked differences were observed in samples obtained from different donors. The findings are important for determining how individuals may respond to different medicines and for determining nutritional needs.
Human
gene banks.
Med Ethics (Burlingt, Mass). 2005;12(1):1-2
Williams G
Heterogeneity
of the genome ancestry of individuals classified as White in the state
of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Am J Hum Biol. 2005 Jul-Aug;17(4):496-506
Marrero AR, Das Neves Leite FP, et al
Individuals classified as White, living in different localities of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, were studied in relation to mtDNA and Y-chromosome polymorphisms. In a specific population characterized by Italian immigration, the results indicated almost complete European ancestry. However, another sample identified as White, from different localities of Rio Grande do Sul, presented significant fractions of Native American (36%) and African (16%) mtDNA haplogroups. These results indicate that Brazilian populations are remarkably heterogeneous; while some present an overwhelming majority of transplanted European genomes, with a complete correspondence between physical appearance and ancestry, others reflect a history of extensive admixture with dissociation between physical appearance and ancestry.
Ethical,
legal and social issues of genetically modifying insect vectors for
public health.
Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Jul;35(7):649-60
Authors: Macer D
The use of genetically modified (GM) insects for control of human disease can be consistent with common ethical norms of international society to reduce human suffering. This paper considers a range of ethical issues including animal rights, informed consent, community consensus and environmental viewpoints.
Pharmacogenomics
in admixed populations.
Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2005 Apr;26(4):196-201
Authors: Suarez-Kurtz G
Personalized drug therapy proffered by pharmacogenomics must be based on the recognition of inherent genetic individuality, rather than relying on inter-ethnic differences in the frequency of polymorphisms that affect the pharmacokinetics and targets of drugs. This is particularly significant in admixed populations, in which the substructure created by inter-ethnic crosses further increases the fluidity of racial and/or ethnic labels. Extrapolation on a global scale of pharmacogenomic data from well-defined ethnic groups is plagued with uncertainty. This review examines the challenges and advantages of studying pharmacogenomics in admixed populations, drawing examples mainly from the trihybrid populations of the Americas.
In
utero gene therapy: current challenges and perspectives.
Mol Ther. 2005 May;11(5):661-76
Authors: Waddington SN, Kramer MG, Hernandez-Alcoceba R, Buckley SM,
Themis M, Coutelle C, Prieto J
This review will examine the concepts and practice of prenatal vector administration, highlighting the advantages of early therapeutic intervention on diseases that could benefit greatly from a prenatal gene therapy approach. We will pay special attention to the strategies and vectors that are most likely to be used for this application and will speculate on their expected developments for the near future.
SNP
discovery in associating genetic variation with human disease phenotypes.
Mutat Res. 2005 Jun 3;573(1-2):41-53
Authors: Suh Y, Vijg J
In this review, we discuss genetic association studies and address the prospect for candidate gene association studies. Our focus is on the continuous need for SNP discovery methods and the use of currently available prescreening methods for large-scale genetic epidemiological research until more advanced sequencing methods currently under development will become available.
Mapping
by admixture linkage disequilibrium: advances, limitations and guidelines.
Nat Rev Genet. 2005 Jul 12;
Authors: Smith MW, O'brien SJ
Mapping by admixture linkage disequilibrium (MALD) is a theoretically
powerful, although unproven, approach to mapping genetic variants
that are involved in human disease. MALD takes advantage of long-range
haplotypes that are generated by gene flow among recently admixed
ethnic groups, such as African-Americans and Latinos. Under ideal
circumstances, MALD will have more power to detect some genetic variants
than other types of genome-wide association study that are carried
out among more ethnically homogeneous populations. It will also require
200-500 times fewer markers, providing a significant economic advantage.
Keeping
medical research ethical.
Science. 2005 Jul 8;309(5732):246
Authors: Obyerodhyambo O
A letter to the editor notes that the that local communities may participate
in research with the idea that, by becoming subjects, they are in
fact buying "insurance."
Navigating
an ethical patchwork--human gene banks.
Nat Biotechnol. 2005 May;23(5):539-45
Authors: Maschke KJ
Population genetics research collaborations are reaching increasingly
across national boundaries to access human tissue repositories. Will
discrepancies in national policies on informed consent and IP rights
hinder progress?
Linkage
of genetics and ethics: more crossing over is needed.
Biol Cell. 2005 Jul;97(7):599-604
Authors: Lissemore JL
The web sites of five different organizations that deal explicitly
with genetics and ethics are reviewed here.
rsp10 August 8, 2005 03:29 PM
http://blog.case.edu/orgs/cgreal/mt-tb.cgi/2118