1st quarter 2008

Science’s top ten – Major advances in biosciences in 2007

Science magazine, one of the most respected scientific journals, regularly compiles a list of the ten key scientific advances, discoveries, inventions and innovations achieved during the past twelve months. Five biosciences innovations have made it into the 2007 top ten: New knowledge about human genetic variation takes top spot among the year's scientific breakthroughs. Advances in personal genome testing that make it possible to predict the likelihood of disease are of particular relevance to insurers.

In 2007, researchers were fascinated to find how much the human genome varies from one individual to the next. They are beginning to understand how these variations account for diseases and personal traits. After hearing for years that there is little genetic difference between one human being and another or even between a human and an ape, the discovery that there is a lot of diversity within the human genome came as a great surprise.

This was largely made possible thanks to improved and more efficient methods used in a number of large international projects. Due to the fierce competition between Affymetrix and Illumina, biochip performance is increasing at an even faster pace than that of computer chips. Genome-wide association studies using these biochips can identify gene variants that account for an increase of 25 to 40 per cent in the risk of heart attack or diabetes, for example.

The new knowledge could not only lead to medical advances, but might also affect our understanding of human beings and the way we see ourselves. Personal genome testing will make it possible to predict ever smaller likelihoods of disease very early on. Some companies have been selling such tests via the internet for around US$ 1,000 since the end of 2007. The tests can be used to investigate the risk of disease, ethnic background or family relationship. They will probably gain widespread use due to their easy availability and comparatively low price, which is not without problems. Should insurers be permitted to use this personal genome information for medical underwriting purposes?

Second – Reprogrammed pluripotent cells

In June 2007, Japanese and US teams succeeded in reprogramming mice skin cells to behave like embryonic stem cells. In November, the same feat was accomplished with human cells. Reprogrammed human skin cells open up new treatment options using replacement cells or tissue. This has major implications for stem cell research itself, as well as for the ethical and political debate surrounding it. For details, see Can fully developed, reprogrammed cells take over the role of embryonic stem cells?

Fourth – Structure of the human ß 2-adrenergic receptor

This receptor plays an important role in regulating the cardiovascular system, for example heart rate and blood pressure. Interestingly, drugs acting on this receptor, the beta-blockers, have been around for a long time. The new finding could potentially help to improve this frequently prescribed class of drugs.

Seventh – Better vaccines

US immunologists showed that T cells either specialise in attacking the enemy – viruses or tumours – in the short term or storing information about the enemy in the long term. T-cell division produces a killer cell and a memory cell.

Ninth – How the brain imagines the future from the past

Back to the future? With each new experience, the human brain reorganises the information stored about the past to create scenarios for the future. This is evident in patients with memory loss, whose ability to imagine future situations is impaired, too. Furthermore, it was found that recalling the past and imagining the future involved activity in the same brain cells and networks of the hippocampus.

Some of the highlights Science magazine expects for 2008:

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  Artificial life – Bacteria that are completely man-made
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  Neandertal genome deciphered
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  MicroRNA-based drugs, e.g. antivirals

Dr. Joachim Bürger,
Centre of Competence for Biosciences
7 March 2008