Wednesday, 13 August 2014
As
the field of human genetics successfully continues to reveal the secrets of an
individual's genetic formulation, the common methods of stigmatization and
ostracism of those with “undesirable” traits have the potential to increase.
An organized search of population for
persons with dormant, early, or asymptomatic disease, like Parkinson’s and
Alzheimer’s disease, is known as Genetic screening. It searches for restricting
genes that, for instance, may convene resistance to specific diseases. A
further purpose of genetic screening is to determine polymorphism that
can be used as a simple genetic characterization of a population.
An
historical example that may shed light on the complications of applying genetic
technology to diseaseprevention is the institution of quarantine. The concept
of “quarantine mentality” is discussed and the desire for a healthy society to
separate itself from those labeled abnormal, and addresses two episodes in
American history when genetics were utilized to the creation of social policy
toward the “diseased”: the eugenics movement of the early 20th century and the
early attempts of genetic screening programs for sickle cell anemia during the
1970s.
Many
leading nations like America, United nations, France, and Japan are involved in
genetic exploration. They have widely debated over the moral, lawful and social
parts of Genetic Screening. Hence, every nation has its advisory group that is
attempting to distinguish and characterize issues and create policies to
deliver them as per its own social-political circumstances.
The
application and extent of genetic indicators are restricted to considering the
inherent tricks of genetic diseases, for example, heterogeneity and lacking
penetrance, which diminish, separately, the clinical affectability and positive
estimation of a genetic test.
For
more information on topics related to genetic screening, please explore the
journal: Current
Gene Therapy
