Health
In The Genes
Hadassah panel covers updates in genetics,
"Jewish" diseases and ethics.
BARBARA LEWIS
Special to the Jewish News
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hat can genetic testing
accomplish? Who should
be tested? What should be
done with the results?
The Greater Detroit Chapter of
Hadassah tried to answer some of those
questions at "It's in the Genes," a panel
discussion Nov. 27 at the Bloomfield
Township Library. The program was
sponsored by Hadassah's Roosevelt,
Mitzvah, Tikvah and Ruach groups and
the Nurse's Council, with support from
the Genzyme Corporation. About 60
women attended.
Hadassah has long been interested in
genetic diseases and how they affect
Jews. In 1995, the Hadassah Medical
Organization joined with researchers at
the National Institutes of Health to
publish research on the mutations in the
breast cancer gene BRCA1, which is
prevalent in women of Ashkenazi, or
Eastern European, descent.
The Hadassah Medical Organization's
Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene
Therapy in Jerusalem is a leader in
research in this fast-growing field.
Dr. Gerald L. Feldman, director of
the Center of Molecular Medicine and
Genetics at Wayne State University
School of Medicine in Detroit, gave an
overview of the science of genetics,
explaining why some genetic diseases are
more common among Ashkenazi Jews.
Ghetto Diseases
"In Eastern Europe, the Jews tended to
live in small, isolated communities and
to marry within those communities," he
said. The gene pool became concentrat-
ed. Even in North America, Ashkenazi
Jews tended to marry within the group.
We inherit two copies of every gene
in our bodies, one from our mother
and one from our father, he said. And
just about everyone has some genes
that are defective in some way. These
usually cause no problems unless an
individual inherits the defective gene
from both mother and father. Some of
the "Jewish" genetic diseases, like Tay-
Sachs and Canavan, cause severe dis-
abilities and inevitable early death.
Some, like Type 1Gaucher, can be
treated. None is curable.
Genetic screening can identify carri-
ers of many of the Jewishgenetic dis-
eases, including Tay-Sachs, Canavan,
Niemann-Pick, Fanconi anemia and
familial dysautonomia. Screening can
also identify carriers of the genes that
cause cystic fibrosis. A single blood
sample can screen for several diseases.
Many labs offer an "Ashkenazi Jewish"
screening panel, though the specific
diseases in the screen may differ from
one lab to another. Most insurers cover
the screening cost.
Children whose parents are carriers
of the same defecti v e gene have a one-
in-four chance of inheriting the defec-
tive gene from both sides and suffering
a genetic disease. By undergoing
screening, couples can discover their
risks before they have children and can
make informed decisions, said Dr.
Feldman.
Genetic testing can also identify
genes associated with cancer, said
Robin Gold, a genetics counselor at
Detroit-based Karmanos Cancer
Institute.
"Cancer is a genetic disease, but
genetics is not the same as heredity,"
she said. Changes in a gene can happen
at any age, and the changes accumulate
over time. These cumulative genetic
changes can trigger tumor growth.
"Aging is the number one cause of can-
cer," she said.
If a cancer-causing gene is passed
from parent to child in already mutat-
ed form, the child has a much higher
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Elaine Horowitz, program chair and president of Nurse's Council Group of Hadassah; Shirley Blumberg, national Hadassah chair-
woman of American Affairs/Domestic Policy; Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz of Adat Shalom Synagogue; Robin Gold, genetics counselor and
research associate at Karmanos Cancer Institute; Elaine Sturman, president of h te Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah; and Dr.
Gerald Feldman, director of the Center of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine.