Many people are familiar with Carl Zimmer as a science columnist from The New York Times. His columns and research dug deeply into the field of genetic research and gene therapies. As the buzz around genetic testing and genetics-based therapies increases, it is increasingly important to be fairly informed of both the benefits and dangers of this kind of research. A recent interview with Zimmer, and his most recent book, set out to provide just that kind of information. Keep reading to learn more or follow the original story at upr.org.
For Zimmer, it begins with a curiosity. He wanted to know the secrets of his own genes. With modern technology, reading a person’s genetic information is almost a form of fortune telling. It can reveal potential abnormalities, risks of disease, and even simpler issues like susceptibility to weight gain.
Though Zimmer worried about what his genetic code might reveal, researchers ultimately informed him he had a “boring genome.” The process had been an anxious one, his hopes had been to discover something peculiar or unique. And yet his genes were simply “boring” – which is actually a good thing according to genetic counselors.
That’s a personal experience, and it’s one many of us could have thanks to a variety of testing and counseling platforms. But what’s in the works?
CRISPR is a big name in the genetics field right now. It is a name shared by both developer and product. CRISPR is a form of genetic therapy in which researchers design specific molecules for specific functions and send them into the body. The effect is that a CRISPR treatment may target a very specific genetic sequence on a stand of DNA and remove it. The strand will then repair itself, or CRISPR molecules can insert a replacement code where the detrimental one was removed.
CRISPR seems poised to be a game-changer in the case of rare genetic disorders such as muscular dystrophy and sickle-cell anemia. No human trials have thus far been conducted, but they are expected to begin soon.
Zimmer cautions, however, not to consider CRISPR a miracle cure or a cure-all. There have been exciting gene therapies in the past that stood in similar places to where CRISPR now stands.
Many of them did not deliver or failed to function for a great number of years. Considering these previous missteps, CRISPR could be even more exciting and revolutionary than we expect. But it could also be another in a long line of treatments that don’t meet the mark. There are still many questions and the dust just hasn’t settled yet.
Through the rest of the interview, Zimmer shares other ways in which genetic testing and therapies may be useful to human health. Even if the technology is not used directly on people the are still large contributions to be made.
One experience Zimmer details is of a visit to a facility breeding mosquitoes.
While this may sound like a science fiction nightmare, the mosquitoes at this facility are being genetically altered such that they are resistant to malaria. If a mosquito population can be influenced such that it does not carry the malaria parasite, that could mean saving hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Such an approach may also be more cost-effective then spending thousands of dollars a year on extermination programs or other methods to control mosquitoes.
In another story Zimmer explored, DNA testing was used to identify and the Golden State Killer.
Someone involved in the investigation used DNA from the crime scene in conjunction with an open-source genealogy. This allowed investigators to find close matches of the suspect, work out how they were related, and eventually lead them to a successful arrest.
Perhaps the biggest caution Zimmer issues in the interview, however, is one that have as much current buzz as genetic research itself: privacy.
In light of issues with social media, there are increasing concerns about what companies do with the data they access. Zimmer says that people have options when working with genetic testing services. Companies like 23 and Me allow for individuals to request information only about their ancestry. Medical information can be untouched by and large. The companies will, however, often attempt to convince people to allow sharing of their information. This allows researchers, in partnership with drug developers, to examine an individual’s genetic data and try to find patterns across specific groups. This can ultimately be very positive, but it is important to be informed either way.
Click here to listen to or read the rest of the interview, or check out Zimmer’s latest book She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity for further details.
