Every year, on April 25th, organizations and schools around the world celebrate DNA Day. That’s the anniversary of two big achievements in science. In 1953, scientists published a paper in the journal Nature on the double helix. In 2003, the Human Genome Project was finished.
This year, to celebrate DNA Day, Let’s Talk Science teams up with Roche Canada to answer the question:
- How could your doctor one day use your DNA to create a personalized medicine plan for you?
What is DNA, and what is its connection to disease?
“You can think of your DNA as a cookbook and your genes as recipes. Written in the DNA alphabet - A, T, C, and G - the recipes tell your cells how to function and what traits to express. The genome (the full set of genes or genetic material that make up an organism) contains everything needed to build and operate you, or any living thing. Your genome determines the way you look, the shape your body takes, and how your body creates the proteins that are essential to processes like digesting food or carrying oxygen in the blood. Your genome also dictates how diseases will impact your body. Whether inherited or caused by environmental factors, mutations or errors in your genetic code may cause illnesses like cancer and rare diseases such as cystic fibrosis.”
How could a doctor use your DNA to create a personalized medicine plan for you?
Christina Archer explains:
DNA expert Michael Duong explains:
Let’s talk about it
- What do you know about DNA? What kinds of instructions does it give your body? Do you know the connection between DNA and disease?
- Explain, in your own words, how a doctor might one day use your DNA to create a personalized medicine plan for you.
- Can you think of an example in your own life of a condition you would like a doctor to create a personalized medical plan for? This could be a condition you have experienced, or perhaps a family member or friend.
About this video
The DNA Experts here appear thanks to Roche Canada.
Roche is a leader in the research and development of pharmaceutical and diagnostic solutions that look beyond today’s horizons and make a profound difference in people’s lives.
For more information, please visit www.rochecanada.com.
Christina Archer
As the Canadian Country Head and PDG Site Head in Mississauga at Roche Canada, Christina Archer is directly responsible for clinical research strategy and clinical trial delivery in Canada across all therapeutic areas.
Emilie Bouchard
As Country Clinical Operations Line Manager at Roche Canada, Emilie Bouchard is responsible for managing a team that oversees clinical trials for Roche's Neuroscience investigational medicines across North America.
Michael Duong
As Director of Evidence Generation at Roche Canada and the lead on personalized healthcare, Dr. Michael Duong is responsible for conducting research to help patients get access to innovative medicines and supporting the implementation of personalized medicine across Canada.