 |
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gene tests for heart disease: perils and promise
The Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition July 4-7 2005
The Association for Science Education Annual Conference January 5-7 2006
Advances in genetics mean that DNA tests for common complex conditions such as heart disease will soon be possible. This raises three issues :
How can we identify the genes involved?
Genetics influences heart disease by:
- Mutations of large impact on an individual's risk that are MONOGENIC (mutation in one gene has impact), but are RARE
- Mutations of small impact on an individual's risk that are POLYGENIC (mutations in more than one gene necessary for impact) and are COMMON
- Both effects are modified by ENVIRONMENT (eg diet, smoking)
Will DNA based tests be useful for doctors?
Will they:
- Have predictive power over-and-above established risk factors?
- Take environmental interactions into account?
- Be based on estimate of risk that is accurate and reproducible?
Will they be psychologically damaging?
It is important to understand:
- Why people want a test
- How they perceive they can control a condition diagnosed by a DNA test
- How we can avoid the pitfalls of false reassurance and fatalism.
Download resources and handouts from the exhibition here
Familial Hypercholesterolaemia
workbook (PDF 667k) 
Genetic Testing Workbook (PDF
518k)
Origami worksheet (PDF 134k)
Regulatory organisations handout
(PDF 55k)
For any further information on the exhibition please contact Gail Davies
View a video clip of the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition
Click here to see a clip of Dr Gail Davies and Professor Anna Kessling talking about the exhibit