How is genetic information used to treat disease?
How is genetic information used to treat disease? A person's genetic makeup affects how their body breaks down certain medicines. Genetic testing can examine certain liver enzymes in a person to find out how their body breaks down and removes medicines from the body.
How will we use genetic information to make drug decisions?
When that happens, using genetic information to inform decisions about the right drug and the right dose will likely involve computerized approaches that marry the genetic data with knowledge about drugs and genes, to lead to a personalized treatment recommendation. We are probably at least a decade or more from this reality.
How do your genes affect your medications?
Much like the director of a play or movie, your genes give instructions to other parts of your body. One of the things your genes direct is the production of enzymes required to break down (or “metabolize”) the drugs you take. These enzymes influence how effective a drug might be for you and how likely you are to experience negative side effects.
Should health care providers reveal genetic information to patients'spouses?
On balance, the committee recommends that health care providers not reveal genetic information about a patient's carrier status to the patient's spouse without the patient's permission. Furthermore, information about misattributed paternity should be revealed to the mother but should not be volunteered to the woman's partner.
How does genetic influence health?
Understanding genetic factors and genetic disorders is important in learning more about promoting health and preventing disease. Some genetic changes have been associated with an increased risk of having a child with a birth defect or developmental disability or developing diseases such as cancer or heart disease.
How do genes affect your life choices?
BE KIND TO YOUR GENES On one hand, our genes affect our health, since they can put us at varying levels of risk for issues like heart disease, weight gain, and even depression. And on the other, our lifestyles also affect our health in significant ways at the level of the gene.
How can knowing about genetics help treat disease?
How is genetic information used to treat disease? A person's genetic makeup affects how their body breaks down certain medicines. Genetic testing can examine certain liver enzymes in a person to find out how their body breaks down and removes medicines from the body.
How is genetic information used to help humanity?
The public support the use of human genetic information to improve the diagnosis of diseases, to develop targeted drugs, and to better understand people's susceptibility to certain diseases.
How do genetic factors affect individuals and public health?
Risks for almost all human diseases result from the interactions between inherited gene variants and environmental factors, including chemical, physical, and infectious agents and behavioral or nutritional factors, raising the possibility of targeting disease prevention and health promotion efforts to individuals at ...
How does a genetic counselor help their patients?
Genetic counselors help identify families at possible risk of a genetic condition by gathering and analyzing family history and inheritance patterns and calculating chances of recurrence. They provide information about genetic testing and related procedures.
What is genetic information example?
3.2 In one sense, almost all information about a person's health and physical well-being can be called 'genetic information'. A casual glance reveals information about a person's gender, race, height, weight, and other features that are related, in whole or in part, to that person's genetic inheritance.
What are some factors that influence access and use of genetic information?
Other factors include the availability of quality genetic resources in the community, the appropriateness of genetic technologies offered to the community, the accessibility of clinical and genetic services, the costs and benefits of using genetic technology, and the community's knowledge of the use of genetics to ...
What does genetic information determine?
Genes carry the information that determines your traits (say: trates), which are features or characteristics that are passed on to you — or inherited — from your parents. Each cell in the human body contains about 25,000 to 35,000 genes.
Is your life determined by your genes?
The study of longevity genes is a developing science. It is estimated that about 25 percent of the variation in human life span is determined by genetics, but which genes, and how they contribute to longevity, are not well understood.
How do genes make us who we are?
"Genes make us who we are by influencing how we interact with the world around us, driving the way we select, modify and even create our environment," he said. "DNA isn't all that matters but it matters more than everything else put together."
Do genes affect personality?
Scientists estimate that 20 to 60 percent of temperament is determined by genetics. Temperament, however, does not have a clear pattern of inheritance and there are not specific genes that confer specific temperamental traits.
Do your genes make you who you are?
Genes (say: jeenz) play an important role in determining physical traits — how we look —and lots of other stuff about us. They carry information that makes you who you are and what you look like: curly or straight hair, long or short legs, even how you might smile or laugh.
What are the concerns about genetic information?
Some people have concerns about using genetic information in the treatment of disease. These concerns include: 1 Tailor-made medicines might be more expensive 2 Not everyone might have access to new treatments 3 Keeping genetic information private 4 Possible discrimination at work and from health insurance companies 5 Need for more information about this type of medicine
Why do we need genetic testing?
Because these liver enzymes are less active in some people, they are less able to break down and get rid of some medicines. This can lead to serious side effects.
What diseases can run in families?
Rare diseases like hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia also run in families.
What is the goal of the Family History Initiative?
Surgeon General's Family History Initiative. This goal of this campaign is to have all American families learn more about their family health history.
Is Herceptin effective for breast cancer?
There is now a test to find out whether a medicine called Herceptin will be an effective treatment in breast cancer. This test looks "estrogen receptors" in tumors. Children with a common type of childhood leukemia can be tested to find the right doses of chemotherapy treatment.
How does gene expression affect medication?
The term “gene expression” is important because we’re talking about how much your genes influence your response to a medication. Much like the director of a play or movie, your genes give instructions to other parts of your body. One of the things your genes direct is the production of enzymes required to break down (or “metabolize”) the drugs you take. These enzymes influence how effective a drug might be for you and how likely you are to experience negative side effects. Your unique combination of genes is called your genotype. Your genotype can tell us if you will make more or significantly less enzyme than other people. These enzymes help break down the medications into substances that can be more easily excreted by the body. However, in some cases these substances can be active and some are even harmful before they are excreted. This partially explains why some people will get no effect at all while others end up in the hospital with severe side effects from the same medication at the same dose.
How does genotype affect enzymes?
These enzymes help break down the medications into substances that can be more easily excreted by the body. However, in some cases these substances can be active and some are even harmful before they are excreted.
How much of the pie is genetics?
In some cases, your genetics makes up a very large part of the pie — up to 90% for some medications. In other cases, your genetics are only a tiny sliver of the pie and the other factors make up the largest amount.
Why is knowing that a patient will not respond to a therapy important?
In other cases, knowing that a patient will not respond to a therapy can save precious time and protect quality of life, such as for certain cystic fibrosis and cancer medications. As always, the goal is to match the right drug to the right patient to achieve the greatest benefit with minimal side effects.
Can genotype affect medication?
Overstating the impact of the genotype on the person’s ability to metabolize medications can also cause serious anxiety. Patients have reported feeling scared to take any medications, even when they know that their condition will not likely get better without treatment.
Can pharmacogenomic testing cause harm?
However, promoting pharmacogenomic testing with application to only one disease state or with questionable testing practices can cause more harm than good. Most genes influence how the body metabolizes not just one class of medications, but can influence many other drug classes as well, and to different degrees.
Is the CDC relaxed?
The CDC has relaxed some prevention measures, particularly for people who are fully vaccinated, and especially outdoors. Meanwhile, scientists continue to explore treatments and to keep an eye on viral variants. Stay Informed. View Coronavirus COVID-19 Resource Center.
What happens if you copy your genes?
If those copies have mistakes, this can cause problems. For example, some gene changes can make you more likely to get cancer.
How are diseases related to genes?
Many conditions and diseases are related to genes in some way. Some mutations may be in a single gene, although most disorders are more complex. Many diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, are caused by issues with multiple genes in combination with lifestyle and environmental factors.
What is it called when a gene changes?
Changes in genes are called mutations , and everyone has some. Some mutations work better than the original, and many make no difference at all. Some mutations cause problems. A condition that is caused by mutations in one or more genes is called a genetic disorder. There is a group of rare diseases caused by mutations in one gene at a time.
How do diseases pass down from one family member to another?
The way this happens is through genes, the genetic information that you get directly from your parents. In most cases, diseases or other problems do not have one single cause.
How does the environment affect DNA?
Your environment can also directly cause changes to DNA inside your cells. For example, the sun damages DNA in the cells that are exposed to it, and if the damage goes unrepaired, these gene changes will be copied as your body creates new cells. You might read about “a gene for” a condition. This is not quite right.
What does protein do?
Proteins do the work that builds the parts of your body and keeps it moving. When the genes that instruct the making of proteins have mutations and do not work properly, whole systems in the body can have problems. These upsets can be caused in a number of ways. A new copy of your genes is made in every new cell that your body creates ...
What happens when you have an extra chromosome?
Sometimes a chromosome gets broken, and an extra piece can end up in one cell (and be missing from another cell). This is similar to having an extra or missing copy of a gene, but it happens with big groups of genes.
What is gene therapy?
This experimental technique involves changing a person's genes to prevent or treat a disease. Gene therapy, along with many other treatment and management approaches for genetic conditions, are under study in clinical trials.
What are some examples of genetic changes?
One well-known example is familial breast cancer related to mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
What is the term for a group of genetic conditions that result from genetic changes that disrupt the production of specific enzymes
For a group of genetic conditions called inborn errors of metabolism , which result from genetic changes that disrupt the production of specific enzymes, treatments sometimes include dietary changes or replacement of the particular enzyme that is missing.
What is an example of an inborn error of metabolism?
An example of an inborn error of metabolism is phenylketonuria (PKU).
Can genetic disorders be cured?
As a result, these disorders often affect many body systems, and most cannot be cured. However, approaches may be available to treat or manage some of the associated signs and symptoms.
Can sickle cell disease be treated with bone marrow?
Conditions that are characterized by defective blood cell formation, such as sickle cell disease, can sometimes be treated with a bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplantation can allow the formation ...
Can genetic disorders cause miscarriage?
Genetic disorders may cause such severe health problems that they are incompatible with life. In the most severe cases, these conditions may cause a miscarriage of an affected embryo or fetus. In other cases, affected infants may be stillborn or die shortly after birth.
How does genetics help athletes?
Fitness Genetics will help in this regard by determining the athlete’s genetic profile, which will help personalize their training regimens as well as protect them from incapacitating injuries for which these athletes have genetic risk. When a child is born the parents and grandparents proudly match the physical traits passed on through their genes ...
What is wellness genetics?
Wellness genetics, aims to help people by not only identifying genetic traits and thereby inherent strengths and weaknesses, but also suggesting lifestyle choices and feasible actions to achieving their goals and dreams.
How to ensure autonomy in genetic testing?
One important way to ensure autonomy with respect to genetic testing is to provide adequate information upon which a person can make a decision whether or not to undergo testing. A proper informed consent in medicine generally involves the presentation of information about the risks, benefits, efficacy, and alternatives to the procedure being undertaken. In addition, recent cases and statutes have recognized the importance of disclosures of any potential conflicts of interest that the health care professional recommending the test may have, such as a financial interest in the facility to which the patient is being referred. In the genetics context, this would include disclosure about equity holdings or ownership of the laboratory, dependence on test reimbursement to cover the costs of counseling, patents, and so forth. It would also include disclosure of any planned subsequent uses of the tissue samples, even if such uses are to be anonymous.
Why do we need DNA testing?
In the law enforcement context, DNA testing is undertaken to attempt to identify criminal offenders. At least 17 states have DNA fingerprint programs for felons. 29 The armed services are collecting DNA samples from all members of the military, the primary purpose of which is to identify bodies of deceased soldiers.
Why is confidentiality important in medical field?
Confidentiality is meant to encourage the free flow of information between patient and physician so that the patient's sickness may be adequately treated. The protection of confidentiality is also justified as a public health matter, since ill people may not seek medical services in the first place if confidentiality is not protected. As a legal matter, confidentiality is generally protected in the doctor-patient relationship. However, genetic testing may not always occur within a doctor-patient relationship: a non-M.D. scientist may undertake the testing, or screening may occur in the employment setting. Moreover, it is not just the result of the test that raises concern about confidentiality. The sample itself may be stored (as in DNA banking or family linkage studies) for future use.
How are rules of confidentiality infringed?
On the one hand, rules of confidentiality are sometimes infringed through deliberate breaches. On the other hand, rules of confidentiality are often infringed through carelessness, for example, when health care professionals do not take adequate precautions to protect the confidential information.
What is consent required for?
The consent of the patient is required to remove blood or tissue from his or her body, and also to perform tests, but it is important that the patient be informed of all the tests which are done and that a concern for the privacy of the patient extends to the control of tissues removed from his or her body. 10.
What is autonomy in medical terms?
The legal concept of autonomy serves as the basis for numerous decisions protecting a person's bodily integrity. In particular, cases have held that competent adults have the right to choose whether or not to undergo medical interventions. 2 Before people make such a choice, they have a right to be informed of facts that might be material to their decision, 3 such as the nature of their condition and its prognosis, 4 the potential risks and benefits of a proposed test or treatment, 5 and the alternatives to the proposed intervention. 6 In the genetics context, health care providers have been held liable for not providing the information that a genetic test is available. 7
What is autonomy in genetics?
Autonomy can be defined as self-determination, self-rule, or self-governance. Autonomous agents or actions presuppose some capacity of reasoning, deciding, and willing. Moral, social, and legal norms establish obligations to respect autonomous agents and their choices. Respect for personal autonomy implies that agents have the right or power to be self-governing and self-directing, without outside control. In the context of genetic testing and screening, respect for autonomy refers to the right of persons to make an informed, independent judgment about whether they wish to be tested and then whether they wish to know the details of the outcome of the testing. Autonomy is also the right of the individual to control his or her destiny, with or without reliance on genetic information, and to avoid interference by others with important life decisions, whether these are based on genetic information or other factors. Respect for autonomy also implies the right of persons to control the future use of genetic material submitted for analysis for a specific purpose (including when the genetic material itself and the information derived from that material may be stored for future analysis, such as in a DNA bank or registry file).
