How are race and genetics related? This short but remarkably complex question was addressed in tonight’s event moderated by Harry Porterfield with panelists: Troy Duster, Ph.D. of University of California Berkeley; Michele Goodwin, JD , LLM of DePaul College of Law; and Blase Polite, M.D. or the University of Chicago.
Troy Duster described the progress and pitfalls of genetic testing (especially concerning ancestry). The 3 billion nucleotides of the human genetic code are 99.9% identical among all people. However, that last 0.1% means there are about 3 million differences in each persons DNA that account for all our human diversity. And some of these 3 million differences occur more frequently in some races than others, indicating that race probably has some genetic component.
Michele Goodwin discussed the trials faced by African American’s in many contemporary and historical issues. Racial and ethnic groups have been discriminated both for and against, and these institutions continue to affect our (and society’s) thinking about race. Race and genetics is no exception.
Blase Polite provided some excellent background on heredity and the genetic basis of cancer. A key distinction is that all cancers are genetic but not necessarily hereditary – genes can be changed by events in our environments after birth (radiation and some chemicals, for example). Dr. Polite also demonstrated that some of the racial differences in breast cancer that may be explainable with genetic model.
What does all this mean? It seems clear now that there are some genetic differences between ethnic groups. Skin color, for instance, is hereditary – the information for skin color must be encoded in and transmitted through genes. But there are also more subtle differences such as a higher frequency of genetic disease (for example, higher frequency of cystic fibrosis in some Jewish populations and sickle cell anemia in many ethnic groups originating around the equator). Subtler still are minute genetic differences that may be entirely irrelevant or with consequences we are not aware of. Does our conception of race change if there are genetic components? What are some of the possible ramifications (testing, profiling, insurance, etc.)?
An essential goal of this series is thinking about how we should prepare or respond to scientific discoveries. Science will continue to discover more and more about the relationship between race and genetics. These discoveries are not bad or evil; indeed, they hold great potential for saving lives and reducing disparities. But there are, of course, possible problems. How should we respond?
Eric
IHC Facilitator
