Bioethical problems in pharmacogenetics and ecogenetics.

Abstract

Many societal and bioethical problems are raised when our knowledge of genetic variation is translated into public policy. The various dilemmas faced by imperfect knowledge are discussed. The difficulties of issuing regulations in the face of uncertain scientific knowledge are considerable. Potential variation in nutritional requirements due to biochemical variation needs to be faced by nutritional scientists and policy makers. The problems of discrimination against carriers of the currently testable genetic traits are discussed. Screening of workers susceptible to industrial injury for genetic reasons is being started. However, industry may escape its responsibilities for industrial hygiene by concentrating on susceptibility testing--often in the face of poor data. A variety of other issues such as the "false positive" test and genetic identity cards are discussed. Public policy dealing with human genetic variation must be based on accurate genetic data. At that point, careful assessment of the societal impact of the policy needs to be considered before implementation. Problems of coping with human genetic variation are of increasing importance for developed societies but remain a low priority item for developing societies that face current problems of malnutrition and infectious disease.