150 likes | 264 Views
From Farm to Pharma: public health challenges of nutrigenomics. Minakshi Bhardwaj, PhD Cardiff University, UK bhardwajm@cardiff.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/cesagen/gendata/. Genomics: the promises.
E N D
From Farm to Pharma: public health challenges of nutrigenomics Minakshi Bhardwaj, PhD Cardiff University, UK bhardwajm@cardiff.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/cesagen/gendata/
Genomics: the promises Many of the promises of the post genome era tend to be promoted in terms of benefits to the individuals, e.g. ‘personal pills’ and personalised diet
DH White paper 2003 “ We will learn more about the genetic features of common diseases such as heart disease and diabetes and the way external factors such as diet and smoking interact with our genes to increase likelihood of developing a given disease”
The context • Public health concerns. e.g obesity, diabetes • Novel foods. eg GM, nutriceuticals, functional foods • Understanding of genetics • Ethical paradigms • Individual and choice
Nutrigenetics The study of individual differences at genetic level (SNPs) influencing response to diet. i.e effects of individual genetic variation in response to diet Personalised nutrition; genetic testing Potential benefit and harm Nutritional genomics
Contd • Nutrigenomics The application of genomics in nutrition research, enabling associations to be made between specific nutrients and genetic factors. • Study of nutrient-gene interactions • Systems biology • Research ethics; funding allocations
Acquisition of information • Association studies • Population groups • Specific disorders • National dietary surveys • Genetic databases
Information leading to applications • Understanding how nutrition affects metabolic pathways • Understanding how this influences diet related diseases • The role of individual genotypes
‘public good model’ • Susceptibility testing • Pharmacogenomics • Nutrigenomics • Framing risk • Individual, joint and relative risk • Serious/not serious
Public health • Will nutrigenomics have significant public health benefits? • Differences between nutrigenomics and pharmacogenomics
Contextual issues • What counts as public health? • Determinants of health • Individual vs. collective benefits • Images of food • Individualism and choice • Target groups; basis of groups • The ‘value impact’ of genomics • Personalisation of what?
Personalisation project • Personalisation as a policy tool • Personalisation as an objective of genomic research • Commercial exploitation • As an ethical argument- reducing genomic divide (Getting Personal report :Food Ethics Council 2005)
Aspirations or promises? • Accuracy of claims • Screening vs. testing • Determinism vs. probability • Empowerment vs. exploitation
Acknowledgment • Prof. Ruth Chadwick • Prof. Søren Holm