doonhoop, You seem to be almost anti-DNA in your rather confused post. To give you some background on the benefits that could potentially come from a better understanding of DNA, please review this article below at your leisure.
There are many such articles on the web that you can find with a google search (www.google.com).
Of course with any new technology there are threats, but I would not have much faith in any of these civlib sheep to really do that much good to keep any of us safe. Being as well informed as you can be of the problems and potential pitfalls is probably a better road to take.
Rather than attempt to fight the future,try to become more involved with it.
The Roadmap of Life Scientists continue to make DNA breakthroughs that affect everything from medical treatment to law enforcement - and the best is yet to come. By Rob Campos
April 2005
Exactly two years ago, scientists finished mapping out the human DNA sequence, the building block of life. While that achievement alone was historically noteworthy, it was merely a means to an end. Since then, scientists have made great strides in understanding certain inherited traits and finding ways to correct the defective ones.
Every person's DNA is as unique as a fingerprint or the pattern of a retinal scan and determines individual characteristics like eye color and medical predispositions. Science fiction writers enjoy conjuring the possibilities resurrecting extinct animals, meeting a Neanderthal man or visiting a theme park whose primary attractions are dinosaurs. But the benefits to humans have been proving more tangible.
Some of the most notable advances have been in law enforcement. American organizations have been using DNA sampling to solve crimes - and free the wrongly accused - for nearly two decades, but the process was often cumbersome, requiring a lot of time and a lot of DNA material to make it work. Today, a method called polymerase chain reaction can grow DNA from the smallest samples. "You can literally take a licked postage stamp, a hair follicle or pulp from a tooth, and add an enzyme that duplicates the DNA. It will grow exponentially," says Dr. D.P. Lyle, author of "Forensics For Dummies." "Once you have two good samples, you can make a comparison for identification in 12 to 18 hours." These new advances prompted the FBI set up a nationwide DNA database; soon, every felon's DNA may be on file to help authorities track down and arrest criminals.
The Map of You Still more dramatic breakthroughs are on the horizon in the medical arena. By analyzing our genetic code, doctors have been honing which specific medications will work for us and which ones may have adverse side effects. This will eventually lead to customized medical treatment. "Imagine that even before you are born, your entire genome can be saved on to a CD," says Michael A. Goldman, professor of biology at San Francisco State University. "If you ever have a medical problem, a doctor can just run the disc and check the appropriate genes so he can prescribe the appropriate medicine."
BabyAccording to Goldman, this method of customizing medical treatment will probably be the norm in about 15 years. "Instead of prescribing drugs the way we do now - which is start with the cheapest and see if it works - we can check the DNA and get an indication of whether this person will be among the 30 percent of people that a specific drug works for," he adds. "Maybe we will find out that they are not going to respond positively to it, so there is no need even prescribing it."
Aiding the prescription of drugs is only one way DNA analysis can work to fight disease. Dr. Eva Galanis, an associate professor of oncology at the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., has conducted clinical trials of genetically modified viruses that will help patients with pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, brain tumors, multiple melanomas and ovarian cancer. "We have genetically modified viruses to attack tumors," Galanis says. "In certain situations we can also introduce a gene into the virus so when the gene replicates, we can use it as a marker. Particular viruses replicate antigens that can be measured in the blood. This creates a noninvasive way to monitor viral propagation. This means we can chose the right dose for the right patient."
Gene Therapy These processes are collectively known as gene therapy. One of Galanis' current trials involves an altered measles virus that destroys ovarian tumors with little to no chance of the patient being infected with the disease.
There are three major applications of gene therapy. The first one is correcting an acquired or inherited genetic defect by changing a person's DNA. Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common genetic defects in Caucasians. It is caused by one defective gene. If this gene can be altered, a person with the disease can be cured and prevented from passing the defective gene on to their children.
MicroscopeThe second application is treating an illness that's not necessarily inherited. For instance, DNA does not need altering in order to get rid of a viral infection or cancer; those just need to be destroyed. The third application is to get the body's own cells to produce a therapeutic substance. Rather than trying to kill a virus in the body, a cell is triggered to produce a chemical or protein that battles the affliction. "You can have all sorts of approaches to gene therapy," says Dr. David Sanders, associate professor of biological sciences at Purdue University in Indiana. "You can remove cells, alter them, then replace them in an individual. You can have genes that turn the immune system on and off at different times. You can have a gene that responds to certain chemicals, such as eating more mushrooms to consistently trigger a specific immune system response."
In a period of advancement, there's also caution: Toying with human evolution could have unpredictable side affects. For instance, the so-called defective gene that causes sickle cell anemia can also provide immunity against malaria - not a coincidence since malaria is endemic in exactly those regions where sickle cell traits are common. "If we correct defective genes that are passed on to the human population, we don't always know what we are going to get," says Sanders. "Genes cooperate. If you correct one, then maybe another one will cause a problem. The need to perfect the human genome would work against us unless we were all-knowing."
