DNA research has shown how a disease such as sickle-cell anaemia is inherited and why men are more prone to colour blindness compared to women. Down's syndrome has been found to occur when there are two copies of the same chromosome. Hence, couples can then go for genetic counselling to assess the chances of having a healthy baby. It is a long path from identifying a disease gene to a drug but identifying an errant gene serves as a stepping stone.
Gene therapy has also developed, where doctors attempt to cure patients by inserting genes into them. Such therapy is experimented to deliver genes inside cells that could potentially treat cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, immune disorders, and other ailments. The use of the virus had actually worked well in treating so-called ''bubble boy syndrome. However, as such therapy is still in testing, we cannot tell its potential. Already, gene therapy has seen its failures with patients developing cancer and in 1999 a patient actually died from gene therapy. However, there is already a new wave of DNA-based drugs in the market like Enbrel for arthritis and Gleevec, a treatment for chronic myelogeneous leukaemia.
Hence in terms of medicine, no medical breakthrough has yet been successfully been proven with the use of DNA as such are still in the testing grounds. However, DNA has enabled doctors to understand the occurrences of some diseases and how to prevent them. Much of DNA's potential for medicine has yet to be unlocked. Perhaps it is for the future generation to reap its' benefits. For now the DNA revolution is largely confined to understanding nature, not changing it.
The first icon for DNA was born in the First Paper sent in by the discoverers to Nature in April 25th 1953. It was drawn by an artist, Odile Crick, Dr Cricks wife. Her diagram shows DNA as a winding staircase, with sides of sugar and phosphate molecules and steps of connected bases.