Others aren't so sure. The scientists and researchers have decoded the sequence of the bases in human DNA, but they still don't know what many of the genes do. The information gleaned from the Human Genome Project is generally considered to be raw data, Oettinger says. The completion of the project is the critical first step in understanding human genetics. The next high-level step is gene finding.
Gene finding is a process that allows researchers to determine what each part of the DNA does.
Despite the significance of this advancement, it is important to remember that most diseases are behavioral not genetic, says Janice Genevro, Ph.D., the senior project director of the Center for the Advancement of Health. By not smoking, we can reduce our risk of lung and oral cancers, according to Genevro, or by exercising and eating healthy foods, we can reduce our risk of other cancers and diseases. We shouldn't disengage ourselves from the process of caring for our own health. Thoene predicts that it will be about another 10 years before we see any major treatment or therapy advances derived from the project. But within the next year, physicians may be able to use the data in diagnosing genetic disorders, Oettinger adds.