‘Broken genes’ for a broken system
To David Altshuler, the recent discovery of a genetic mutation that protects against type 2 diabetes offers hope in fighting more than just diabetes. It also illustrates how using the tools of genetics to hunt for “broken genes” can aid drug discovery, a process that itself is broken, Altshuler said, with new finds scarce despite billions spent on research. “Almost everything we put into patients fails,” said Altshuler, a Harvard Medical School genetics professor. “There’s something wrong with what we’re doing.” The “broken gene” procedure involves screening large segments of the population for people who should develop a particular disease, but don’t. Once found, researchers screen their genomes, comparing the results with the rest of the population, singling out genetic differences that provide the protective effects, and looking specifically for genes that are unexpectedly shut off. Genes involved in disease, of course, can operate in different ways. In addition to being shut off entirely,...