doctormuse.com

“That’s incredible news,” I happily remarked when my neighbor Serge* told me the eight inch malignant tumor removed from his colon had no nodal involvement.  The cancer, originally thought to be stage III, had been reduced to stage I and required no chemotherapy or radiation.  He said the medical team was so amazed and mystified the neoplasm hadn’t spread they insisted he follow up for more testing, so possibly, they could identify the genetic marker that saved his life.  Serge was complying but not before contacting his lawyer to inquire about protecting the "rights" to his own genetic superiority. 

He’d better hurry up because a study in 2005 found approximately 20% of the 20,000-25,000 genes that make up our body are “owned” by biotech companies. “According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office grants patents on human genes, which means patent holders own the exclusive rights to those genetic sequences, their usage, and their chemical composition. Anyone who makes or uses a patented gene without permission of the patent holder is committing infringements and can be sued.”  Reminiscing, I’m reminded of the race to capture domain names before the internet exploded.

The merging of technology and medicine is only beginning to shift out of first gear. Perhaps the brightest economic stimulus for the foreseeable future lies in the forecast for continued synergy between healthcare and technology. The downside?  Just look at the obstacles Darwin faced toppling the walls of demagoguery, politics and religion.  Legal, ethical and privacy issues cannot be disregarded .  But could it be different now? With the added incentive of Wall Street, genetic patents and the understanding that early disease prevention leads to better quality of life these obstacles may be resolved faster.