Costly Genes

[...]I decided to train in molecular biology in order to figure out the genetics of mental illness with the ultimate goal to one day develop better treatments–treatments based on the underlying genetic susceptibility of each affected individual. A huge success story in the late ‘80s was the cloning (identification) of the cystic fibrosis gene, CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) [5]. Cystic fibrosis (CF) affects 100,000 patients worldwide (30,000 in the US alone), and is a monogenic disease, albeit with multiple mutations in that gene. Since it is specific to causation (targeting the disease-causing genetic mutations), it has the potential to be a cure rather than just a treatment for patients carrying these mutations.