[Opinion] Genome Map

The King Jinshi in ancient China was looking for the herb or eternal youth at all costs, dreaming of eternal life. His attempt failed, however. Humans are made to get older and sick and die eventually. Manipulating the mechanism of life and death is beyond human abilities. It is divine. When James Jobson and Francis Creek solved the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, no one expected the finding could lead to revelation of the entire human information.

Scientists participating in the International Human Genome Project announced on April 14 that they completed a human genome map, which comprises 3.12 billion pairs of DNA molecules and contains some 40,000 genes. That is, the map is like an encyclopedia containing every secret of human life. Now that the group of scientists gets the encoded drawing, they will only have to decipher the codes. After the work of decoding, which is expected to take some two decades, humans might be able to know the very secret of life and death.

Once humans successfully interpret all the marks, it will affect human lives in an almost unimaginable way. For examples, some babies dying of `congenital immune deficiency syndrome` before they turn one year old, which is due to deficiency of the `gamma C receptor.` The human genome map then will become a breakthrough in treating such hereditary diseases. By identifying certain genes, scientists will also be able to develop drugs for such incurable diseases as cancer, dementia and diabetics. By manipulating protein genes, they will produce protein for treatment purposes. When they identify aging genes, they might even be able to develop a drug of eternal youth.

Decoding of the genome map, however, does not necessarily guarantee a rosy picture. When personal gene information is used for commercial purposes, it is almost certain to generate serious side effects. In the U.S., there is already a case in which an insurance company rejected to sell its cancer program to a man it believes has high chances of developing cancer. The world might see a new type of racial discrimination, which separates inferior genes from superior ones. The bottom line, however, is a theological question – whether it will be good for humans to live through 200 years? A scientist participating in the genome project asks a question. ˝If humans become capable of redesigning their species, can it mean the end of human destination?˝

Kim Sang-young, Editorial Writer, youngkim@donga.com