VOA健康报道2022--Huge US Study Starts Sharing Gene Findings with Volunteers

Huge US Study Starts Sharing Gene¹ Findings with Volunteers

DNA² is the main molecule³ that carries genetic⁴ information in the cells of living things. More than 155,000 Americans who shared their DNA for science are about to learn something in return: Do they have any worrisome genes⁵?

It is part of a very large study to see how people's genetics, environments, and behavior combine to govern their overall health.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said recently it is now starting to tell those in the study about some early findings. Like if they carry variants⁷ that can cause any of 59 genetically⁸ passed down diseases or cause medication problems.

Because everyone with the same gene will not have the same health outcome, sharing those results may mean new discoveries.

Dr. Josh Denny heads the NIH's study, called "All of Us." He asked, "What are the drivers in that variability?" And he added, "The way they change their behaviors in response to the findings, we'll be able to look at that."

The All of Us study is a never-before-seen effort to reduce differences in healthcare and end today's one-size fits all care. Researchers aim to follow 1 million people from different groups for at least ten years. Their goal is to better understand the complex combinations of reasons that decide why one child gets sick and not another, or why a cure for one patient fails in another.

Volunteers share DNA samples, medical records and health history. About 560,000 have signed up so far. And more importantly, nearly half are from racial and ethnic⁹ groups historically left out of medical research.

Traditionally, such studies are like a one-way street – scientists learn a lot from volunteers who get little personal information in return. But in an unusual move, All of Us volunteers get to decide if they want to learn health-related genetic findings, long before the study's finished.

Rachel Peterson is an NIH employee who volunteered for All of Us before recently becoming a leading member of the project. An All of Us genetic counselor¹⁰ informed her that she was at increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer because of a gene named BRCA-2.

Peterson did not know that was a risk for her family. She plans to discuss health treatments with her doctor, such as increased breast cancer screening. She said, "I kind of shudder¹¹ to think about what could happen if I hadn't known this."

Denny estimated two to three percent of study volunteers will learn they have a well-known genetic variant⁶ that can cause some cancers, heart conditions, or other health problems. Many more will have genetic variants that affect how their body processes some medicines.

For now, volunteers will only be given findings they can do something about, such as seeking earlier testing, or changing medications. They will be offered free testing, genetic counseling, and help with sharing the information with their doctors and family members.

But there is a lot more to learn. For example, many of the disease-linked genes were discovered by studying people of European ancestry¹².

Eric Venner of Baylor College of Medicine is a genetics expert. He said different variants may affect other ancestries¹³. And his team is studying the data from All of Us to see which differences matter most to which populations.

Denny commented on the power of being able to talk to volunteers who they could work with for tens of years. If new findings affect study volunteers, "we're going to keep things up to date," Denny said.

Words in This Story

variant – n. something that is different in some way from others of the same kind

response – n. something that is done as a reaction to something else

sample – n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from

counselor – n. a person who provides advice as a job

ovary – n. one of usually two organs in women and female animals that produce eggs and female hormones¹⁴

shudder – v. to shake because of fear or cold

1 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

2 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

3 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

6 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

7 variants   

n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体

参考例句：

• Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
• Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样，病毒也有变种，一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句

8 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

9 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

10 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。

11 shudder   

v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动

参考例句：

• The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。
• We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

12 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
• He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。

13 ancestries   

n.祖先，世系( ancestry的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• All patients and control ancestries were measured ABO blood type. 所有的患者和对照组个体均进行ABO血型检测。 来自互联网
• Our point here is that all ancestries have all experiences therein. 这里我们的重点是，其中所有祖先都经历了所有事件。 来自互联网

14 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。