This week, the New England Journal of Medicine reported the results of a remarkable study on an experimental drug that dramatically improved treatment of blacks with heart disease. BiDil is now on course to become the first "Race Drug"––a prospect fanning debate among the public, scientists, and government officials responsible for providing guidance on funding and research protocols.
Genetic researchers are increasingly challenging the "one size fits all" treatment model that has advocated that therapies for a particular ailment should be applied to all patients regardless of ethnic background. There is now overwhelming evidence that some genetic diseases target racial or ethnic groups. For example, various breast cancer mutations are most common in Jews, and cystic fibrosis disproportionately afflicts whites. Bone marrow transplants are more successful when donor and recipient are matched by population and genetic characteristics. These population-based differences have spawned the field of pharmacogenomics, which incorporates genetic research to develop therapies that can be tailored to the small but meaningful bio-chemical differences that often distinguish races and ethnic groups.
While many researchers see exploration of differences among races as a way to learn more about complex diseases, some scientists and ethicists worry that focusing on biological differences could resurrect discredited notions of racial medicine, thereby stigmatizing minority patients and leading to inferior health care. This conference will address the social public policy implications of this new wave of genetic research into race and medicine.
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