Life Script: How the Human Genome Discoveries Will Transform Medicine and Enhance Your Health

  • Nicholas Wade
Simon & Schuster: 2001. 208 pp. $24, £18.99

Many of the milestones along the epic journey to sequencing the human genome first came to light in the headlines of newspapers and on television. Rivals from different camps would compete for the bigger media splash, with the elbowing intensifying in the lead up to the publication of the sequence in Nature and Science early last year. Nicholas Wade is the New York Times' journalist at the genome frontline; he draws on his own extensive reporting of the subject to bring us a book that recounts the events marking the 'dawn of the genome revolution' and illustrates how it lays the groundwork for a new era in medicine.

Wade hits his stride early in the book, portraying both the science and the drama behind the 'race', between the international consortium of academic researchers and the private venture Celera, to sequence the human genome. The story doesn't need any added spice, for it is already peppered with turf wars, public and private mêlée, vendetta and vindication. (Surely the mini-series can't be far behind.) Notably, Wade tempers the theme of the 'race', diplomatically proclaiming no clear winner, as it does indeed depend “on the yardstick applied”. Nevertheless, he does not shy away from lending his own interpretation of events and their significance, and he tips plausible contenders for the Nobel prize, in the event that it is awarded for the sequencing of the human genome.

At roughly halfway, the book shifts to visions of how genomics will transform human health. At this point, the fluidity of the book is displaced by a list of the many tangents that post-genomic research will take as it strives to conquer human disease. Certainly, the examples given are timely — we read of the recent discoveries of genetic variations that underpin diabetes and Crohn's disease, the design of drugs to specifically intercept the genetic perturbations of cancer, and the molecular basis for why asthma patients respond differently to a widely used drug treatment. This chapter is a tour de force of futuristic genomic medicine, but the jolting delivery and propensity for using technical concepts that are not fully explained may leave the non-biologist reader floundering.

For those tempted to put the book aside at this point, I urge you to persevere. For Wade soon resumes his lucid and evenly paced stride in chapters on two topical aspects of modern research: regenerative medicine and immortality. The author traces the quest to find the elusive means of treating stem cells so that they will eventually repair diseased tissues and rejuvenate dilapidated organs, in addition to the scientific ingenuity that could one day extend the human lifespan. Here, Wade is both entertainer and educator, sweeping the reader along with lively accounts of the experiments that are edging us closer to an era of renewable and sustainable health.

The genomics company Human Genome Sciences (HGS), and particularly its chief executive William Haseltine, feature prominently, more so than the multitude of other commercial endeavours intent on mining the genome for its treasures. In the background of the genome sequencing effort, the HGS has been busily capturing and cataloguing the expressed sequences of the genome, with the focus being on the signalling molecules that form the essential communication network between cells, and which are undoubtedly involved in cancer and other diseases. Wade's sympathetic handling of the company's efforts hint that he has great faith in their success. Nevertheless, as he notes, without publication of their findings, the jury is still out on the merits of their claims.

For those desiring a quick snapshot of how medicine is being transformed by genetic knowledge, this book is well ahead of the textbooks, but it will inevitably date as the field streaks ahead at its breakneck pace. A cautionary note is warranted regarding the genetic panacea seemingly idealized in the book. Amplifying the belief of James Watson, a pioneer of the genomic revolution, that the “biggest ethical problem we have is not using our knowledge”, Wade presents a persuasive argument that the fruits of pharmacogenomics will cure all our medical malaises. This is reminiscent of arguments by its advocates that nuclear power will solve our energy crisis. I dare say that it may make our lives better, provided that we can use it without hurting ourselves in the process.

Caution aside, we have a long road yet to travel, but this book is a toast to your genome and to your good health.