Group items tagged

LONDON, England- (24 July 1997)- Move over Dolly, and make room for Polly, the first sheep cloned by nuclear transfer technology bearing a human gene. Investors hope the lamb will make them a mint, but more importantly, the arrival of Polly could be good news for hemophiliacs and others who rely on expensive protein therapy of their diseases.

In this lesson, students explore some of the risks and benefits of gene-based medicine. They look at concerns related to genetic testing (which looks for particular genetic variations) and personal genome sequencing (which sequences the entire genome of an individual). Through videos and discussions, students learn about existing technologies for genetic testing and therapies. They also explore matters such as the emotional consequences of genetic testing, discrimination, and privacy issues. In small groups, students discuss scenarios and then share and analyze related opinions and concerns.

This interrupted case study for the flipped classroom applies evolutionary genetics research to human health. Students learn about a naturally occurring, but rare, allele of the CCR5 gene, CCR5-Δ32, which provides resistance to HIV. They use data from primary literature sources to predict and interpret worldwide patterns of CCR5-Δ32 frequency distribution. They then discuss how these allele frequency patterns may have been driven by selection imposed by various diseases or by other evolutionary mechanisms. Next, they test published data using Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to examine if CCR5-Δ32 also provides genetic resistance to West Nile virus. Finally, they complete a jigsaw discussion of Nature News articles that report on how CCR5 research is being used to develop therapies to treat HIV. Originally written for the evolution portion of a yearlong biology series for undergraduate majors, the case is also appropriate for some non-majors biology courses or, with added complexity, upper-level evolution, genetics, or cell biology courses.

GlaxoSmithKline has developed what looks like a cure for a rare and deadly disease, and it's going to cost $665,000 for a single dose. That sky-high price tag-more than twice the average price of a house-is likely to stir what's already a long-simmering debate in health care: How much should curative therapies cost, and how should society pay for them?

webpages with check for understanding

Student friendly online "your world" magazines, on a variety of topics.