The team of UK researchers found that if they blocked the POLQ gene - which has a role in repairing damaged DNA - radiotherapy was more effective. Although it has always been considered that no one can claim a patent on anything from Nature, many companies in which these genes are present. ACLU is trying to fight patent rights to parts of our bodies but there has been so much money made by companies holding these rights, charging exorbitant rates for testing (to which they hold the monopoly) that many illnesses cannot be researched in the United States as a result of these patents. Of course, other countries are not restricted by US patents and some headway is being made elsewhere. Myriad Genetics is one such company holding patents against whom ACLU is filing suit To read about who owns your genes, click here.
If you watched 60 minutes on 4/4/10, you will see their discussion on who owns your genes and whether firms should be allowed to do so. Since this has been going on for much more than a decade, it is reported that there are something like 10,000 of these patents. Just as strangers wish to control that we cannot decide when to die, that women must bear children they do not want, and so many other potential controls on our bodies. We are humans held hostage by people acting on religious myths, delusions, or just power hungry, righteous individuals who seem to have no boundaries between themselves and the rest of us.. Check the CBS presentation here.
Losing so many rights under bad administrative practice is bad enough, but losing our right to our own bodies because administrations have not protected us is unacceptable.
No comments:
Post a Comment