Already researchers are testing gene therapies to correct misfirings and to make cells work correctly. Scientists hope these therapies may one day be reliable enough to treat diseases without the sometimes debilitating side effects of some drugs. This milestone is by no means the end of research, scientists say. What happens now is a whole host of fascinating experimental challenges to figure out. Researchers will also look at how differences in our individual genomes lead to the development of disease or protect against particular disorders.
Scientists expect the decoding of the rest of the chromosomes to come quickly.
The next one may be No. 7. Scientists expect to have sequenced the other chromosomes by next spring, a milestone they say is hard to overemphasize. Medical Correspondent Rhonda Rowland and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Collins et al. All Rights Reserved.