SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Biotech / Medical : Biotechnology: The Patenting of DNA
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: Mike McFarland who wrote (26)7/15/1999 5:05:00 PM
From: Biomaven  Read Replies (1) of 37
 
Mike,

In fact, if I was born with a few genetic flaws that make me
predisposed to a disease, how come the asthma did not
crop up until I was 17? How strange that a person
would develop such a condition at the age when
they are the most healthy--that cant be about genes.

I think the answer to your question lies in the word "predisposition." The key assumption here is that because of your predisposition you are susceptible to some environmental insult that can push you over the edge to a disease state. The insult could presumably be a virus or something much more subtle, like continual stress worrying about biotech nanocaps. <g>

Identical twin studies are revealing here. Occasionally, both twins suddenly develop the same allergy at a similar time late in life. This is probably "predestined," although of course it could be they both got exposed to the same strain of some bug at the same time. More commonly, if one develops something late in life, it is more probable that the other will get it as well, but not definite. (I'm talking common chronic diseases here, not genetic diseases like Huntington's.)

The trouble of course with trying to figure out what SNP's are associated with what diseases is that there is so much noise. One outfit is looking at Iceland, in the hopes that the more genetically homogeneous population there will remove a few degrees of freedom from the equation. Last I heard, Icelanders aren't as genetically homogeneous as they were hoping, even though they apparently all look the same and have the same names. <g>

Peter
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  

HomeMailHotSubjectMarksPeopleMarksKeepersSettings
Terms Of UseContact UsCopyright/IP PolicyPrivacy PolicyAbout UsFAQAdvertise on SI
© 2025 Knight Sac Media.  Data provided by Twelve Data, Alpha Vantage, and CityFALCON News