To break away from the analogy, we have the raw material in the database from which to extract the human gene list. That's the importance of next week's announcement. Sources say the two sides believe a public showing of goodwill will polish their images for the history books. Scientists agree that the achievements by Celera and the Human Genome Project have dramatic and positive implications for human society. Some predict the expected health benefits will begin to appear with regularity in about 10 years.
Many traditional therapies address the end stages of disease.
These new therapies will address the disease process, so if a person has Alzheimer's disease or diabetes, we will develop medicines that stop or slow down the disease process. Having the human sequence is just the beginning. Certainly the investors in the most successful companies will benefit. Celera's human sequence data are being mined by key drug companies, including Pfizer, Novartis and Amgen, for targets for drug development. Vanderbilt University currently pays for an academic subscription.