Are we moving towards a better future?

We are at the beginning of a medical revolution. The success of the Human Genome Project has led to increasingly rapid translation of genetic information into clinicalapplications. This could dramatically accelerate the process of mankind conquering disease. Genetic tests for over 1,200 diseases have been developed, with up to 1,000 available for clinical testing. These tests and other anticipated applications of genomic technologies for screening and prevention have the potential for broad public health impact.

Equally important, who owns our genes? Is it possible that one of us carries the cure for cancer? If so do we own the cure? Is there a genetic lottery that will create a new breed of lucky millionaires? On the down side are the sceptics asking if anyone is really doing the intellectual heavy lifting needed to define the ethics of mankind's response to experimentation. And how much of it is still kept form the public domain.

As new genomic technologies with practical clinical applications continue to become available, there is an increasingly urgent need for timely and reliable information that will allow health care providers, consumers, and policy makers to distinguish tests that are safe and useful. This will lead to the rise of effective “Personalised Medicine” which will make it possible to give the right drug, at the right dose, to the right patient and at the right time. Laboratories that support personalised molecular medicine develop patient specific tests that monitor the effectiveness of treatment and can identify the recurrence of disease far earlier than was once possible.

Other branches of science influenced by the Human Genome Project are BioGerontology and experimental gerontology. These raise many questions about curing the ageing process or at least having the ability to slow it down. It's in this area some of the world's most leftfield scientists are working! Some have looked to develop theories of the ageing process, such as telomere shortening and the free radical theory.

Of course, curing age-related diseases is one approach, and slowing down the underlying processes of aging is another. Most 'life extensionists' believe the human life span can be altered within the next century, if not sooner. 'Optimists' have predicted a changing human life span, though this has not yet been demonstrated. Will we all be supercentarians in the future?

Medical advance is all well and good but what about ethics? 'Designer babies', stem cells and the role of testing in insurance and the workplace are just some of the many difficult ethical issues raised by advances in genetics. It is imperative to ensure fairness in the use of genetic information by insurers, employers, courts, schools, adoption agencies and the military, among others - who should have access to personal genetic information and how should it be used?

The theoretical and philosophical implications regarding human responsibility and the debate surrounding free will versus genetic pre-determination have not yet been fully aired in the public arena - must this happen before we run head first into a genetically modified world?