Genetics and the Future of Medicine
Around the world and all through time that man-kind has walked the earth, medicines have been used to cure a variety of diseases and disorders. The field of medicine has made astonishing advancements from the times of Voo Doo and “medicines” simply being successful due to the placebo effect, to the current studies of medicine that physically cure. Today’s pharmaceutical industry is said to be “one size fits all”, in the belief that one kind of medication for a certain problem, is the right medicine for everyone. This idea could be part of the distant past. Using genetics, a certain kind of medicine could be prescribed so that there are no gene inducing side effects, and to receive the best results. On the other hand, genetics in the future will be able to prevent genetic disorders far before symptoms arise. Research and advancements in genetics will be the “new wave” of medicine.
DNA varies from person to person, and these tiny variations could mean different effects of medication. According to an article titled “Medicine Gets Personal” by Marc Wortman, published in Technology Review, this could play a big role of medicines of the future. Eventually, knowledge of one’s personal genome will help one’s doctor decide which medication could be the best for him/her. With this genetic information, the doctor will know whether or not the prescription will have any hazardous side affects. The tiny variations of DNA are called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In order to be able to decipher how certain medications will interact with DNA, scientists must first identify as many variations as possible and figure out which ones have a significance in the effects of medicines.
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...be the answer to solving many medical mysteries that have remained unsolved for centuries. People will have to make a decision that will affect life dramatically. Though there are the drawbacks, an individual will have to choose what is more important to them. Should one get the genetic treatment and live a full life, but possibly be discriminated against? As opposed to choosing to not choosing to receive the genetic treatment and know that they are insured and employed, though the person might suffer. The decision should be up to the patient. Genetic therapy will be the new wave in the field of medicine, and it could save lives.
Works Cited
Boyle, Philip J. “Shaping Priorities in Genetic Medicine.” The Hastings Center Report v. 25 (May/June 1995) p. S2-S8
Wortman, Marc. “Medicine Gets Personal.” Technology Review v.104 no1 (Jan/Feb 2001) p. 72-78
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A murdering messiah. A Bible-selling prosthesis thief. A corpse in full Confederate regalia waiting in line a Coca-Cola machine. One of the most haunting qualities about Flannery O'Connor's fiction is the often shocking but always memorable images adding intensity to her stories. Her violent comedy is a fusion of opposite realities--an explosive meeting between contradictory forces. She creates characters from the southern grandmothers, mothers, preachers, neighbors, and assorted "good country people" populating her world, using their traits, words and behaviors to give her fictional world life. And we are as familiar with them as she is. We know them; they could be people from our region, our town, our family. Just regular folks. But she pushes them beyond normal boundaries, beyond any reality we or they could imagine by introducing them to their opposite. The person on the other end of reality. For example, the grandmother in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" appears to be the stereotypical grandmother busily involved in her fami...
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... fight the disease. It is crucial that regulation be a necessary component of gene therapy research and applications. In hopes that the government can regulate and can receive this treatment, not restricting it to people that has serious genetic diseases. Gene therapy will change the field of medicine from what it is today. As scientist discovers more genes and their functions, the potential of this treatment is limitless. Though gene therapy is an auspicious treatment choice for numerous diseases (including inherited disorders, some types of cancer, and certain viral infections), the procedure remains precarious and is still under study to make sure that it will be safe and effective. Thus government regulators and scientist must take a lead role in adopting a practical approach to address these issues and determining the correct procedures for dealing with them.
The impact of an author’s life on their writing is vast. Many people do not see the large influence of an author’s childhood on their writings, but it plays a major role. The life of Flannery O’Connor is no exception to this. The great Catholic lifestyle of her parents helped persuade her writing of, “A Good Man is Hard to Find.”
One of the most controversial topics discussed in the world of medicine pertained to the topic of genetic engineering. Some doctors saw it as tool of world destruction, however many of them seeing it as a chance of potential cures and treatments. Charles Darwin first introduced this idea. In his first publication, The Origin of Species, he introduced the idea of survival of the fittest. He stated that evolutionary change was only possible due to the genetic variation between each generation, including the combination of different characteristics. In other words, he wrote that only those who had desirable characteristics, in terms of survival, would be able to pass down their genes. If two bred and possessed desirable characteristics, then the desirable characteristic would strengthen, modifying the genes. Darwin’s theories have been the base of many medical breakthroughs that contributed to genetic engineering. The idea soon influenced medicine, the idea of strengthening the healthy cells and isolating them from the unhealthy ones. The simple idea Darwin discovered had changed medicine as a whole. Today, doctors and scientists are able to manipulate genes in order to create new treatments and cures. Today, Darwin’s discovery changed and saved millions of lives around the world. Despite the fact that genetic engineering can have a negative impact on society, it was an important discovery due to the advancement in conventional medicine.
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Today in the United States, Breast Cancer occurs in about one in eight women which is currently the most common cancer among women. The number of cases is expected to decrease due to the advancements in technology and dedicated researchers. Scientists have put an estimated 4.8 billion dollars towards the research every year to help find a cure or a new treatment for breast cancer ("STAT Facts Breast Cancer"). Researchers have found causes, put in research and theories that help with understanding treatments, prevention and also common symptoms and coping mechanisms.
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“Not all that glisters gold,” Gray surmised in his poem, Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat. While the term is widely understood now as meaning that not everything is precious, there is evidence to suggest that there is a more cautionary tone which surrounds this saying. As Gray uses it to lament the death of Horace Walpole’s favorite cat, when the text is analyzed further, aspects of the mock epic are revealed. However this usage of the mock epic is less humorous in tone and more as a vehicle to warn readers of the tragedy that befalls them when they mindlessly pursuit certain desires. Therefore, in Thomas Gray's Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat, Gray uses the style of mock epic along with a non-human character in order to depict how people dangerously pursuit the material in their life, at the risk of their own demise.
Although genetic engineering seems to be more harmful than helpful, when used correctly, it will help the society prosper. Considering the technology our society has currently developed, genetic engineering is a difficult topic to discuss and confirm. If the researchers confirm this process, it may become easier for the scientists and will help cure the diseases easily. The debate, however, will still be on the rise because of the issue in human morals and ethics.
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