Marfan Syndrome Research Paper

In philosophy, an often debated question involves whether or not the dead can be “wronged”. Slander is mostly agreed to be wrong, regardless of the character of the dead. However, could genetic testing have the same result? One great example is Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln fascinated physicians because of his remarkable stature (6’, 4”) which has been possibly linked to Marfan syndrome. Abraham Lincoln was unusually tall as a child and his extremities were disproportionately to his overall height; his leanness varied from (160 to 180 lbs.) all signs that lead to the suggestion of Marfan [8]. Marfan syndrome is passed down in what resembles an autosomal dominant trait and affects ~0.03% of the population. These mutations (yes, there is more than …show more content…
Therefore, it can help with learning the location of genetic diseases and prevent passing on diseases that are currently unknown what genes cause their expression. This was a reason members of the committee used to support testing Abe Lincoln’s DNA. However, I am cautious of fully supporting the testing of the dead. Even though you may be able to learn something new about a disease and cure thousands, we see that laws are not up-to-date (meaning no laws exist specifying who controls the genetic testing of the dead), which could have other ethical ramifications if that genetic information were to get out to the public. It can lead to exposure of DNA profile of people related to this deceased individual. Research suggests the risk to be fifteen fold or higher in Caucasian populations [15]. Zick et al. (2005) suggested that there is an increase in long-term care life insurance costs, due diagnosis of this allele. So, if your ancestor was tested by another family member who had a risk allele like this, it could put you at risk of discrimination. We must weigh the effects genetic testing could have on the few who possibly weren’t knowledgeable about this test of their grandfather leaving them up for