Genetic Profiling - what will we do when we get there?

http://www.arthritis.org/two-genes-linked-to-ra.php 

 

Breakthroughs in genetic research are rapidly bringing us closer to early diagnosis of mysterious illnesses and will soon improve our ability to target specific drugs towards individual patients. Our current approach of using 'randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled' clinical trials to prove efficacy and safety of new drugs will become obsolete due to genetic advances. No longer will I have to prescribe a drug to a patient because it worked for 60 out of 100 people in a clinical trial. The other 40 will soon have a voice - a genetic language - that we will be able to read.

 

Welcome to the era of 'personalized medicine'.   

 

When treating a patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis, I have about ten good drugs to choose from but there is no way to match the right drug with the right patient. So we just shoot in the dark and if it doesn't work we try again. Genetic research holds the promise to change all that and improve our accuracy.

 

It will however, undoubtedly also open the door for abuse and discrimination as well. If you don't like racial profiling, wait for the day when we have genetic profiling. Will insurers charge a higher premium for having "bad" genes? Will people stock pile a drug that they predictably will need tomorrow? Will your boy friend reject you because of your genes? Will your children sue you because you married each other while you knew that your future kids were going to be 'genetic disasters'? 

 

http://www.biopoliticaltimes.org/article.php?id=5599