Do Genes Put You at Risk for Avian Flu?
And if So Could a Vaccine
Karen Greendale here at AMBI pointed me to this piece that suggests a heritable susceptibility to H5N1:With four cases confirmed or suspected, her family represents one of the largest clusters of bird flu among humans in the world. It is also notable in sharing a characteristic with nearly all the other family clusters: Those infected by the virus were related to each other by blood and not by marriage. This raises the possibility that genetics play a role in determining who among those exposed contracts the often-lethal disease.
"It's intriguing," said Sonja J. Olsen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Bangkok, who has studied family clusters of avian influenza. If a biological explanation were ultimately proved, she added, "perhaps we could identify people at genetic risk."
Now, if it is possible to identify those en masse who have such a susceptibility, should they be quarantined first?
And just in case that doesn't confuse things enough - word of a vaccine that might really work.
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Do you suppose that if H5N1 is connected to genes that this will lead to problems in gene therapy?
Already, there is concern over the development of "designer drugs" (those medicines tailored for specific ethnicities). Many fear that more focus will or is being shifted to those who are minorities; reducing the amount of research on other known diseases affecting the "majority."
Although the take on this issue is different than what I am drawing a comparison too, it highlights the notion of genetic desparities amongst ethnic minorities. See my article on "genetic desparities" conscerning those more susceptible to certain diseases - specifically to lung cancer.
p.s. great article
- by LaVon Rutledge Jr on Feb 27, 2006 at 2:06 PM | link
If any of your readers are in Pittsburgh next week and so inclined, avian flu vaccine creator Dr. Gambotto will be our speaker at Cafe Scientifique Pittsburgh on Monday, March 6 at 7pm at the Penn Brewery.
Cafe Sci, a worldwide movement to discuss science in informal salons, was covered in the NYT last week.
And if Caplan, McGee, or any like-minded bioethics types would like to address our crowd, drop me a note. We don't do honoraria, but dinner and beer are on us.
- by Leah on Feb 28, 2006 at 12:54 AM | link
Genetics play such an important role in all aspects of disease. If it is being noted that those with the same genetic makeup are suseptible to contacting certain viruses I think more research should be done to identify those that are more suseptible. With identifying those who are more likely to contract the disease/virus and the possibility of vaccination, there could be a great decline in the disease process.
- by C.Wolbert on Feb 28, 2006 at 2:34 PM | link