Why do the Human Genome Project?
Most inherited diseases are rare, but taken together, the more than 3,000 disorders known to result from single altered genes rob millions of healthy and productive lives. Today, little can be done to treat, let alone cure, most of these diseases. But having a gene in hand allows scientists to study its structure and characterize the molecular alterations, or mutations, that result in disease. Progress in understanding the causes of cancer, for example, has taken a leap forward by the recent discovery of cancer genes. The goal of the Human Genome Project is to provide scientists with powerful new tools to help them clear the research hurdles that now keep them from understanding the molecular essence of other tragic and devastating illnesses, such as schizophrenia, alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease, and manic depression. Gene mutations probably play a role in many of today’s most common diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, immune system disorders, and birth defects. These diseases
