Medicine, government, and the human genome

Abstract

The sequencing of the human genome represents the most important scientific discovery of out age. What can the medical community expect from government in applying the new technology? The major government initiative, the Human Genome Project, is due to be completed in 2005 but a number of important issues remain. Genetic therapy promises to be the most significant use of the new technology, developing new drugs and treatment for the genetic components of disease. However, genetic enhancement is a controversial area involving moral, legal, and ethical issues. Government policy will have to respond to these issues as well as to important developments in the private sector. Ultimately, the public good will have to be protected as scientific discoveries advance the frontiers of medicine.