Choosing the genetic future for your children

Alzheimer's, cardiovascular, and other chronic diseases; biomarkers, lifestyle, supplements, drugs, and health care.
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Tincup
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Re: Choosing the genetic future for your children

Post by Tincup »

I don't think we (as humans) are close to understanding this well enough to know what we are doing. A case in point is Julie's recent post https://www.apoe4.info/forums/viewtopic ... =921#p9393 where the difference between ApoE4 CV risk with and without MetS is an order of magnitude. If you replace 4 genes with 3's, you reduce their CV risk 2-2.5 x, but you also forego a possible 5x reduction if you don't have MetS.
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Re: Choosing the genetic future for your children

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Borg, I liked that. Here is my best impression of Picard. Engage. How did you like that?
Maybe you can do a Janeway impression?
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Re: Choosing the genetic future for your children

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Yes, I think it is fair comment that even a nominally successful attempt at genetic engineering will have
significant unexpected downsides. Trying to out-engineer evolution will be difficult. It is already clear that human genetics is hopelessly complicated with variants that have multiple effects some good and some not so good. Merely considering what is good for oneself will not maximize what is good for the group.

The figure below is from a recent article on the TOMM40 '523' variant. This figure highlights the extent to which everyone is at risk for AD. It is notable how much 44s and 43s overlap during early conversion to dementia. It is also surprising to see how close 3s are to the 4s with respect to age of onset of AD. This figure clearly shows that almost everyone will eventually convert to AD (give or take 10 years). The epsilon 33 VL VL genotype has the latest age of onset given in the figure.

I have contacted the company behind the assay for 523. If anyone else is interested, then maybe we could work together to source the test. Not to be a trouble maker, though the article notes that APOE genotype is not as predictive a marker as 523: Anyone in favor of renaming the forum 523 LL (all (most(?) see article below) APOE epsilon 4s are L) ?

http://www.alzheimersanddementia.com/ar ... 2470-4/pdf



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Re: Choosing the genetic future for your children

Post by Hepoberman »

J11 wrote:Yes, I think it is fair comment that even a nominally successful attempt at genetic engineering will have
significant unexpected downsides. Trying to out-engineer evolution will be difficult. It is already clear that human genetics is hopelessly complicated with variants that have multiple effects some good and some not so good. Merely considering what is good for oneself will not maximize what is good for the group.
Good points J11.

Evolution has engineered us to produce the most offspring, not to be disease free in old age. I'm not interested in repopulating the world. Furthermore, I would venture to say evolution has sacrificed longevity to this end. We add genes to mice to give them disease, I wonder when we will begin to alter our genes to remove disease. I am close to a family that carries ALS, it has showed up several times and killed plenty of their family. Maybe engineering will begin removing these genetic flaws from the species genome pool similar to the way we've eradicated infectious diseases.

I wish my parents could have made me a 2/3 instead of a 3/4. Period. If my drastically increased chances for old age without dementia consequently negatively effects the human species somehow, so be it. -Hep
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Re: Choosing the genetic future for your children

Post by J11 »

It appears the future has already arrived! Sometimes all you have to do is read your in box.

CRISPR would enable the sort of radical genome editing that would be required to address the many serious
genetic lesions that everyone has. Obviously when this technology is perfected, the genetic singularity will
start. What would a world of extreme intelligence, extreme accomplishment be like. This might no longer be a question for philosophical speculation.

http://editasmedicine.com/
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Re: Choosing the genetic future for your children

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A new era has begun!

The below link suggests that results for germ line editting in human will soon be published.
It is no longer if but when.

http://www.nature.com/news/don-t-edit-t ... ne-1.17111

The discussion on the implications of genetic engineering should now be understood in terms of something that is already feasible.
The implications for the AD community of genetic intervention are profound.
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Re: Choosing the genetic future for your children

Post by J11 »

This thread has been completely overlooked!

CRISPR technology has arrived, ethical speculations about what might be have been replaced by expectations that this technology
has already been used. We have entered a very new time. The technology could be wrongly applied, there could be severe consequences for humanity even if this is applied with the best of intentions. People simply might lack the wisdom of evolution. However, the new world has arrived and we will now have to try and cope with it.

This is a turning point in the history of humanity.

The human germline can be changed into whatever we want it to be.

Apparently, CRISPR technology can also be applied in vivo.
Most of the discussions on this thread concerning SNPs might no longer be relevant. If you are worried about your genome, why not just change it?
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Re: Choosing the genetic future for your children

Post by SusanJ »

We'd probably all think that tweaking a few of our problem genes sounds attractive.

But, it sort of makes me think about the building of the first atomic bomb. Do we really understand what we might be unleashing?

I have little doubt that germline engineering would have been put to use by Hitler, who wanted to build the uber-race. What's to stop the next Hitler? Certainly not any "prohibitions"...
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Re: Choosing the genetic future for your children

Post by J11 »

CRISPR has created a new set of options.

What genetic modifications might members of this forum be interested in changing in their
own genomes with CRISPR (apparently this is possible)?
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Re: Choosing the genetic future for your children

Post by J11 »

The Chinese have just nailed their moon landing!
http://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007% ... 015-0153-5

This is our generation's big project. Having the ability to change genetics fundamentally changes what it means to be human. The recent paper
has demonstrated that CRISPR technology can change the germ line.

The society of the future will be substantially different from that of today. The substantial proportion of any population that now struggles with
significant medical challenges (including Alzheimer's) will have a genetic engineering option. The potential for enhancing intellectual ability offers
profound opportunities for a very different life. Consider a world in which nature has been entirely replaced by nurture. Welcome to the future!


The world of the future will be one of extreme health, well being, wealth and accomplishment. Buckle-up everyone the future looks bright!
(However, just wait for the response from the reactionaries who, for whatever reason, are not particularly disturbed by the catastrophe that is the modern world. They somehow believe that we will do just fine by continuing to evolve (notwithstanding the conclusive evidence of humanity's shortcomings as provided by historical records.)

Societies (such as China's) that view life from a collectivist perspective might make an easier transition to a genetically engineered future. The We have won, Me has lost. Those unable to absorb this new reality have now become dinosaurs.
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