2014 Genetic Alliance UK Annual Conference
‘Genomic Sequencing; why it is important and how it can help you?’ was no small topic for the 2014 Genetic Alliance UK annual conference. The event called together everyone from researchers to those directly affected by genetic disease. And it was not just the audience that was diverse. With journalist and broadcaster Vivienne Parry, Mark Bale from the Department of Health, and Edward Sherley-Price, the parent of a child recently diagnosed with a genetic disease, all taking to the stage to speak it seemed almost every angle of this debate was covered. So, why is genomic sequencing important? Vivienne Parry, on her whirlwind history of medicine, used the analogy of the Milky Way. Everything is arranged in complex networks and this is why whole genome sequencing is important. From a single lung disease a patient will present completely differently depending on whether they are young or old or overweight, to name just three of the most obvious factors. We cannot isolate and compartmentalise disease as we have tried in the past. Medicine today, unlike in the 15th century (where bloodletting was as high tech as it got), is not limited to treating symptoms. We are increasingly able to deal with […]
