Gene knowledge gap

Drugs tailored to an individual's DNA are a possibility

By Ania Lichtarowicz BBC science reporter in Shanghai, China

Research into human genetics is being limited by a lack of knowledge in other areas of science, say delegates at the Seventh International Human Genome Meeting in China.

Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, outgoing president of the meeting's organiser (Human Genome Organisation - Hugo), says that our poor understanding of even basic human anatomy means that the human genome project is not delivering cures for genetic diseases as was hoped.

Some genes that cause inherited diseases have been known about for more than a decade but expected cures are still a long way off.

The study of pharmacogenomics - developing drugs based on our genes - will continue to progress, and Professor Tsui says he expects that by the time Hugo meets again next year, scientists will be closer to finding new treatments for some infectious diseases.

Faulty gene

The gene for cystic fibrosis was discovered in 1989. But 13 years later, scientists are only slightly closer to finding treatments, let alone a cure for the condition.

Cystic fibrosis affects the lungs and means sufferers have to undergo extensive physiotherapy everyday. They are also much more prone to chest infections which can be extremely dangerous.

Despite about 2,000 laboratories around the world studying lungs, scientists still do not know enough about them to be able to find out exactly what the faulty genes do.

Scientists already know that people with the same cystic fibrosis mutation may not necessarily have the same symptoms.

They think this could be down to other genes unconnected with the cystic fibrosis gene, or to the effects of the environment.

Infectious diseases

Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, from Montreal University, says the genome can be used in studying infectious diseases.

"There are people resistant to Aids infection because of sequence changes in the genes," he said.

This suggests that other people will be genetically resistant to diseases like malaria and hepatitis.

As our understanding of these diseases increases - for example, knowing exactly what they do to cells at a molecular level - it will be possible to use the human genome project data to create new treatments.

Professor Tsui said he hoped that by the time of next year's meeting, scientists would have developed many practical applications from the data.

The Seventh International Human Genome Meeting, organised by the Human Genome Organisation, runs until Wednesday, 17 April.

Hugo is a forum through which the world's scientists can collaborate as they work to unravel our genetic code, and allows them to discuss some of the social, legal and commercial issues that spin off that research.