Human genome sequence completed
pharmafile | October 28, 2003 | News story | |
The project to decode the human genome has been completed two years ahead of schedule, but scientists have warned against premature hopes for medical breakthroughs.
The International Human Genome Consortium project formally begun work in 1990, and will pave the way towards greater insight into the genetic basis of disease, and promises the development of more effective medicines for a wide range of conditions.
The non-profit Consortium, which included organisations from the US, Japan, Germany, France and China, faced competition from the US company Celera Genomics, which some believe hastened the project completion.
But the Consortium has warned it could be several years before major health advances become available.
"We shouldn't expect immediate major breakthroughs but there is no doubt we have embarked on a one of the most exciting chapters of the book of life", said Prof Allan Bradley, Director of the Sanger Institute.
"Completing the human genome is a vital step on a long road but the eventual health benefits could be phenomenal. Just one part of this work the sequencing of chromosome 20 has already accelerated the search for genes involved in diabetes, leukaemia and childhood eczema".
The ough draftof the genome, published three years ago, allowed researchers to begin looking for disease-causing genes much quicker than previously possible, but the complete sequence is a huge step forward in the hunt for treatments for diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
"The working draft allowed researchers to kick-start a multitude of biomedical projects. Now they have a highly polished end product which will assist them even more", said Dr Jane Rodgers, Head of Sequencing at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. "It's a bit like moving on from a first-attempt demo music tape to a classic CD".
The Sanger Institute, based in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, was the only British member of the consortium and sequenced almost a third of the genome. It was established in 1992 to spearhead the UK contribution to the sequencing of human, mouse and other animal genomes.
Researchers can access the genome sequence via www.ensemble.org, which has seen monthly traffic rise from 30,000 page impressions in June 2000, when the draft version was first published, to over 600,000 at present.
