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"Genetic Research and the Future of Medicine"SECRETARY THOMPSON: Thank you, Doctor Charles Sanders, for that kind introduction. Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. On this momentous occasion, we celebrate the success of the Human Genome Project, a remarkable accomplishment made possible through the cooperative work of government, private industry, and academia. Many of you in this room helped support the Human Genome Project - and while I cannot thank you all by name, I want to acknowledge some of the people and groups who were critical to its success. This project would have been impossible without the work fifty years ago of James Watson and Francis Crick, who deciphered the molecular structure of DNA. It would have been impossible without the dedication of Dr. Francis Collins, Dr. Watson's successor as head of the NIH's genome research efforts, who led an unprecedented scientific partnership known as the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium with participation from six countries. And it would have been impossible to move forward without the steadfast support of the Congress. The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Energy and our many partners in academia and private industry worked together to first map and then sequence the entire human genome. They accomplished the daunting task of deciphering each of the tiny 3 billion segments of the human genome - and, even more amazing, they accomplished it ahead of schedule. The completion of the sequence of the human genome is a momentous beginning announcing the dawn of a new era in medicine and biology. Today, the entire scientific community is turning its attention and energy toward discovering and understanding the secrets contained within the newly completed human genome sequence. I firmly believe that this knowledge will revolutionize healthcare, allowing us to make cutting edge progress against disease. The approval of new drugs, like the leukemia drug Gleevec, illustrates how we can use this knowledge to isolate the genetic markers of cancer to find the ones that trigger the tumor. And this past week, genetic research allowed us to take the first step toward developing a test for doctors to diagnose victims of SARS. Soon, we will gain genetic-level knowledge that will not just help us cure or detect diseases - we will be able to prevent them. As we push the boundaries of our scientific knowledge, I urge you not to forget the fundamental ethic that binds our work together. For all of us who believe in the intrinsic value of every human life, we have a solemn responsibility to use the knowledge we gain to fill the lives of all people with health, hope, and freedom. Let us celebrate this great scientific achievement tonight, and tomorrow rededicate ourselves to the task at hand, to the advancement of scientific knowledge and to improve the health of all mankind. May the next fifty years bring even more spectacular results. Thank you, and may God bless America. Last Revised: April 16, 2003 |
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