Haq M M
M.D. Anderson Hospital, Houston, Tex.
Tex Med. 1993 Mar;89(3):68-73.
The $3 billion, 15-year international project to map out the nucleotide sequence of the entire human genome could revolutionize medical care in the 21st century. The location, makeup, and function of the 50,000 to 100,000 human genes could lead to tailor-made therapies not only for treating diseases but for preventing them. There may be a major role for the genetic engineer in the practice of medicine. On the other hand, the technology could identify people with undesirable genetic profiles who may be subject to discrimination by insurance companies, employers, and others. Physicians who fail to perform genetic screening may face malpractice suits for wrongful births. This article traces the historical evolution of our knowledge regarding medical genetics from the Talmud to the present day.
这个耗资30亿美元、为期15年的国际项目旨在绘制整个人类基因组的核苷酸序列，它可能会给21世纪的医疗带来变革。人类5万到10万个基因的位置、组成和功能，不仅能带来针对疾病治疗的定制疗法，还能用于疾病预防。基因工程师在医学实践中可能会发挥重要作用。另一方面，这项技术可能会识别出具有不良基因特征的人，这些人可能会受到保险公司、雇主及其他方面的歧视。未能进行基因筛查的医生可能会因不当出生而面临医疗事故诉讼。本文追溯了从《塔木德》到当今我们对医学遗传学知识的历史演变。
