Ever wondered if cancer or Alzheimer's was curable. A future to those doomed souls. Well the future begins today, with genomics our dreams will come true.

• cancer: These cancer-causing changes in DNA, called mutations, can be inherited, but most are acquired throughout life. They may be caused by environmental factors, such as chemicals, or from lifestyle choices, such as smoking.

Changes in DNA can cause cells to produce the wrong amount of a certain protein or make a misshapen protein that doesn’t work as it should. In cancer, these changes cause cells to survive and grow out of control, causing damage to surrounding tissues. 

If the mother has this mutation, this anomaly could be passed down to her children.

But if we could isolate this particular gene mutation when the child is a zygote (singled cell) we could replace this mutated gene with a proper one. This is an advantage of the human genome project as it allows us to know which gene is where.

 

•Alzheimer's: Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disorder in which the death of brain cells causes memory loss and cognitive decline. Moreover Alzheimer's is genetic meaning it can be passed down from generation to generation. The rare, early-onset familial form of Alzheimer's disease is associated with mutations in genes on chromosomes. Much like cancer, if these faulty genes are replaced we can prevent Alzheimer's in the next generation 

 

Similarly other genetic diseases like diabetes, autism and even obesity can be cured by genomics.