The launching of the Human Genome Project (HGP) in October 1990 has been compared, as an event in the biological sciences, to the Lewis and Clark expedition and Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon. The mapping of the DNA sequence will, for the first time, give biologists an understanding of the genetic basis of human diseases, eventually enabling them to ameliorate or prevent the diseases, or even wipe them out.
The coming of genetic medicine will obviously have a great impact on Catholic healthcare. Thomas A. Shannon, PhD, examines some of the ethical implications of gene therapy. Vincent Branick, PhD, and M. Therese Lysaught, PhD, take a look at stem cell research. And Alan E. Guttmacher, MD, of the HGP, discusses some of the new science's practical aspects.