I-Genome Research bias: Amaphutha omuntu angena kwisayensi yofuzo

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• December 14, 2021

Isifinyezo sokuqonda

Ukuvula izimfihlo ze-DNA yethu kuwuhambo oluvusa amadlingozi, kodwa yilolo okwamanje olusontekile kubantu bozalo lwaseYurophu, okuholela ekuhlukeni kwezempilo okungaba khona. Naphezu kokucebile kwezakhi zofuzo emhlabeni wonke, ucwaningo oluningi lwezakhi zofuzo lugxile engxenyeni encane yabantu, luthuthukisa imithi yobuhlanga kanye nokwelashwa okungase kube yingozi. Ukuze kubhekwane nalokhu, kuyaqhubeka imizamo yokwehlukanisa imininingwane yofuzo, okuhloswe ngayo ukuthuthukisa imiphumela yokunakekelwa kwezempilo yabo bonke kanye nokugqugquzela ukulingana ocwaningweni lwe-genomic.

Umongo wokuchema kocwaningo lwe-genome

Noma ulwazi lwezofuzo lutholakala ngenxa yobuningi bezinto zofuzo ze-Do-it-yourself (DIY), iningi le-DNA esetshenziswa ososayensi ekwenzeni ucwaningo olunzulu livela kubantu base-Europe. Lo mkhuba ungaholela ekwelashweni okususelwa kubuhlanga, ukungazihloniphi kahle, nokwelashwa okulimazayo.

Ngokusho kwephephabhuku lesayensi Iseli, abantu banamuhla bavela e-Afrika eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-300,000 edlule futhi basakazekela kulo lonke izwekazi. Inani elincane lezizukulwane lasuka kuleli zwekazi eminyakeni engaba ngu-80,000 2018 edlule, lifuduka emhlabeni wonke futhi lihamba nengxenye nje yezakhi zofuzo zabanduleli bazo. Nokho, izifundo zofuzo zigxile kakhulu kuleso siqeshana. Ngo-78, amaphesenti angama-12 amasampula ezifundo ze-genome-wide Association (GWAS) aqhamuka eYurophu. Nokho, abantu baseYurophu nenzalo yabo bahlanganisa amaphesenti angu-XNUMX kuphela abantu bomhlaba. 

Ngokwabacwaningi, isizindalwazi sofuzo esichemile senza ososayensi nodokotela babone izinkinga noma banikeze imithi yokwelapha efanele abantu abanezakhi zofuzo zaseYurophu kodwa hhayi abantu bezinye izizwe. Lo mkhuba waziwa nangokuthi umuthi osuselwa kuhlanga. Izazi zofuzo zikholelwa ukuthi ukungalingani kwezempilo kuzoba kubi kakhulu uma kuphela amaphrofayili athile obuhlanga ebekwa kuqala. Nakuba abantu behlanganyela amaphesenti angu-99.9 e-DNA yabo, lokho kuhlukahluka okungamaphesenti angu-0.1 okubangelwa izakhi zofuzo ezihlukahlukene kungaba indaba yokuphila nokufa.

Umthelela ophazamisayo 

Ngokusho kwesazi sofuzo se-Broad Institute u-Alicia Martin, abantu base-Afrika baseMelika bavame ukubhekana nemikhuba yokucwasa ngokwebala emkhakheni wezokwelapha. Ngenxa yalokho, mancane amathuba okuthi bathembe abantu abasebenza kwezokwelapha. Nokho, le nkinga ayibangelwa nje ukucwasa ngokwebala; ukuchema nakho kunendima. Ngenxa yalokho, imiphumela yezempilo inemba ngokuphindwe kane kuya kahlanu kubantu abanokhokho baseYurophu kunabantu bozalo lwase-Afrika. UMartin uthi akuyona nje inkinga yabantu base-Afrika kodwa ikhathaza wonke umuntu.

I-H3Africa yinhlangano ezama ukulungisa leli geno le-genomic. Lolu hlelo luhlinzeka abacwaningi nengqalasizinda edingekayo ukuze baqedele ucwaningo lwezakhi zofuzo futhi bathole izimali zokuqeqeshwa. Enye yezinhloso zale nhlangano ukuthi abacwaningi base-Afrika bazokwazi ukuqoqa imininingwane ehlobene nezinto ezibalulekile zesayensi zesifunda. Leli thuba alibavumeli nje kuphela ukuthi baphenye izindaba ezihlobene ne-genomics kodwa futhi babe abaholi ekushicileleni okutholwe ngalezi zihloko.

Khonamanjalo, amanye amafemu anezinhloso ezifanayo njenge-H3Africa. Isibonelo, isiqalo saseNigeria i-54gene sisebenza nezibhedlela zase-Afrika ukuqoqa amasampula e-DNA ocwaningo lofuzo. Ngaleso sikhathi, i-UK National Institutes of Health iqoqa okungenani amasampula e-DNA ayisigidi esi-1 kubantu abahlukahlukene base-US ukuze alinganise amandla ezakhi zofuzo zaseYurophu kusizindalwazi salo.

Imithelela yokuchema kocwaningo lwe-genomic

Imithelela ebanzi yokuchema kocwaningo lwe-genomic ingase ihlanganise: 

• Ukwenyuka kokuchema ekunakekelweni kwezempilo, odokotela bengakwazi ukuxilonga nokwelapha iziguli ezihlukene ngokwezinhlanga kalula njengamanye amaqembu abantu.
• Ukwakhiwa kwezidakamizwa ezingasebenzi kanye nokwelashwa okuthinta ngokungafanele izinhlanga ezincane.
• Abancane bangase babhekane nokucwaswa okungekho emthethweni yizinkampani zomshwalense nabanye abahlinzeki bezinsizakalo ngenxa yokuntula ukuqonda kofuzo kwabancane.
• Izinhlobo zamanje nezesikhathi esizayo zokucwasa ngokobuhlanga noma ngokobuhlanga zigxila kakhulu kufuzo, okugqugquzelwa ukuntula ukuqonda kofuzo kwabambalwa.
• Ukulahlekelwa ngamathuba kososayensi abacwaninga ngezakhi zofuzo ezingahlukaniswanga, okuholela ezithiyo eziningi zokulingana ocwaningweni lwe-genomic.
• Amazwe amaningi asebenzisana ukuze ahlukanise amabhange awo omphakathi ekuphenduleni ukugxeka okwandayo mayelana nocwaningo lwezempilo oluchemile.
• Ucwaningo lwezidakamizwa nokwelapha oluthuthukisiwe olubheka ezinye izakhamuzi, luvula amathuba ezinkampani ze-biotech kanye nezamakhemisi.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Ucabanga ukuthi kungani kunokuntuleka kwamathuba okuba ososayensi bafunde ngezakhi zofuzo ezihlukene ngezizwe? 
• Ucabanga ukuthi ososayensi kufanele baphinde bavakashele ucwaningo lwangaphambilini besebenzisa i-lens yokubandlulula ngokobuhlanga nangokobuhlanga? 
• Yiziphi izinqubomgomo okudingeka zibuyekezwe ngaphakathi kwenkambu yocwaningo lwe-genomic ukuze yenze lokho okutholakele kufake phakathi kwabo bonke abancane?