2010 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript
This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2010. The NHGRI Director and many genomics experts from across NHGRI took questions from students, teachers and the general public on topics ranging from basic genomic research, to the genetic basis of disease, to ethical questions about genetic privacy.
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What diseases have been linked to the DNA code?
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Emily Smith, M.S.:
I am the first (and only) genetic counselor for a small community-based hospital. I work mainly in a clinical cancer genetics setting but occasionally will work in other areas of clinical genetics. Non-clinical duties include coordinating monthly multidisciplinary breast conferences, lecturing medical students and residents about topics in genetics, and speaking to the community about the importance of family history.
There are a lot of diseases that have been linked to the DNA code. For some, we know exactly where in the DNA a mutation, or change, has occurred can cause the disease. Examples include cystic fibrosis, some cancers, and hemophilia. For many diseases, we know that there is a DNA code link, but we just don't know exactly what the gene or genes are yet. Examples of theses are diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. |
| East Haven High School in CT (10th grade student) |
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