India and the genome project

India and the genome project
Sanchita Sharma

Speculation about how the deciphering of the genetic code can bring about a radical transformation in the fields of medicine and biology has been in the air since James Watson and Francis Crick unravelled the double helix structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in 1953, decades after DNA was first discovered in 1869. DNA fingerprinting is already commonplace, and hopefully, with the charting of the first working draft of the entire human genetic code last month it is in the public domain since the primary genome sequence cannot be patented diseases such as cancer and biological processes like ageing will be better understood.

Yet, translating the successes of the Human Genome Project and Celera Genomics into medical treatment will take a few more years. Though the draft presented simultaneously by the public and private projects last month is not complete yet, the new data will show the sequence of virtually all the DNA bases present in the right order in the human body's 1,000 billion cells, a treasure trove of scientific knowledge by any standards.

Lacking the financial resources that gave the $ 3-billion Human Genome Project and the privately-funded Celera Genomics the edge, scientists in India stuck to developing in-house capabilities to absorb and apply the information once it came into the public domain. While the West vied for the prize, the Indian effort focused on the utilisation of the genome information for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of genetic disorders common in India.

``Pioneering work has already been done in India related to neurological disorders, asthma and bi-polar disorders like schizophrenia,'' says Samir K. Brahmachari, Director of the Delhi-based Centre for Biochemical Technology (CBT), a constituent Laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) in Hyderabad has already been charting variations in DNA sequencing to assess paternity. DNA fingerprinting was upheld in the court of law in 1997. Manpower training has been taking place at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and common genetic disorders are being studied at AIIMS and PGI, Chandigarh.

Besides identifying and mapping new genes related to genetic disorders prevalent in India, Indian scientists are also carrying out studies on regulation of gene function, genotype-phenotype correlation, and functional significance of repetitive DNA in the human genome.

``The genetic code mapped is that of an average individual, not a particular person, and a lot of work has to be done to unravel the secondary variations using the available data,'' says the Hyderabad-based Gauri Shankar, Deputy Director, CDFD. ``Even though we are not in the race, we are not far behind,'' he adds. Incidentally, the original deadline for the decoding was September 2005, but Celera Genomics reset the goal five years ahead of schedule.

Apart from medical and biological benefits, these genetic and molecular tools can be used to answer several anthroprological questions. The Centre for Biotechnology has launched a national initiative to study the genomic diversity in Indian ethnic populations using biotechnological tools. The Anthropological Survey of India has listed 3,000 human communities in India, of which 75 are endangered tribal groups. Studying and understanding this diversity in molecular-genetic terms will help in understanding human origins and evolution.

With global interest in Indian populations increasing, the ethics of carrying on biomedical research on unsuspecting communities in the developing world would also need to be addressed. Western scientists have been accused of using people from the developing world as guinea pigs such as the Ugandan AIDS study by doctors from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA and critics have suggested that such studies should not be allowed without the consent of the subjects or if they do not fully understand its objectives.

The bottom line is that the sequencing will provide in-depth understanding, and possible treatment, for more than 6,000 genetic diseases that effect humans, besides mapping genetic predisposition to common diseases. The decoding will further help identify a person's genetic predisposition to common disorders and make personalised medication where dosage is tailored to a person's needs possible, though in the near future. Eventually, in the not-so-near future, it may even be possible not only to identify defective genes but to replace them with healthy ones.

`No miracle cures yet'
Eric Lander, one of the American scientists with the Human Genome Project, reiterated on a television show that the complete first working draft of the human genome released last month does not offer any immediate medical benefits. What it does offer is a better understanding of diseases to help tackle them in a more efficient way, said Lander, who led one of the teams responsible for cracking the code.

``Though there is a lot of media hype on the medical aspects of the Human Genome Project, it offers no guarantee about the cure,'' he said. But understanding diseases like cancer or diabetes and biological processes like ageing would certainly help scientists chalk out new medical strategies in the future to deal better with these problems, Lander observed. But the decoding is also destined to provoke controversies, both scientific and ethical. The Human Genome Project funded by the US National Institute of Health and UK's Wellcome Trust, a private philanthropic organisation will also kickstart a new gamut of social and ethical debates on issues like gene privacy and health insurance, he said, adding that new legislations are needed to deal with these questions.Readers can send feedback to focus@expressindia.com