Yes. There are three hedgehogs on the hedgehog signalling pathway, apparently (so named because screwing with it makes fruit flies get spiny, if I am reading it all correctly?), and the Sonic one (yes, named after Sonic the video game character) is apparently the best studied.
Fruit fly people name genes strangely. What confuses me about this one is that the name got translated directly for the human version, which they don't usually do. (or didn't used to, anyway). There was apparently some sort of resolution by a nomenclature committee to change the name to O- fucosylpeptide 3-beta-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase but oddly enough that didn't stick.
I think my favorite fly gene name is still 'mothers against decapentaplegic' but 'cheap date' is fun too. There are lots to choose from. http://www.curioustaxonomy.net/gene/fly.html (http://www.curioustaxonomy.net/gene/fly.html)
There was a very interesting article recently (can't find it) that delved into the ethical issues surrounding this. The perspectives of the families was eye-opening.
(I haven't read through the whole thing yet, but it does not appear to raise anything markedly new. Mind, I spend a lot of time thinking about how chronic conditions which affect the way someone's brain works are tied into who they are as a person.)
I spend a lot of time thinking about that, too. I have Asperger's Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, so it means something to me, personally. I'm absolutely convinced I wouldn't be the same person if I didn't have Asperger's, and I don't consider it something that needs to be "cured."
Granted, Down Syndrome is a completely different type of condition, but people talking about "curing" it gives me the same sort of knee-jerk negative reaction as talk about "curing" autism.
I actually feel differently about "curing" autism -- it doesn't typically come with a host of physical issues including heart disorders, in addition to intellectual impairment. I think that people with Down syndrome have a very different set of life options than an autistic person, although of course that varies based on the degree of severity of impairment.
(I'm tired and not saying this terribly well -- I have a number of adult friends who are autistic and, while some of them are happy with who they are, and others would change it, autism doesn't reduce their lifespan. And, while I'm not saying that it's BAD to have people who are physically different, the tongue/palate and facial differences in Down syndrome make it hard for people who have Down syndrome to deal with the reaction of people who are judging their intellectual capability by their facial appearance and potential difficulties with speech.)
Basically, no one is talking about changing an adult's personality with this -- they're talking about administering it soon after birth to offset some of the cognitive (and, I hope, cardiac) issues that tend to go along with Down syndrome.
We'll see whether this even passes human trials, or gets to a point where they GET human trials -- but it's not as close-to-eugenics as it sounds at first glance.
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(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-06 04:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-07 04:17 am (UTC)BEST LINE
Date: 2013-09-06 04:25 pm (UTC)Stopped reading after that. The article was won.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-07 02:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-07 04:29 am (UTC)I think my favorite fly gene name is still 'mothers against decapentaplegic' but 'cheap date' is fun too. There are lots to choose from. http://www.curioustaxonomy.net/gene/fly.html (http://www.curioustaxonomy.net/gene/fly.html)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-07 12:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-06 04:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-07 02:43 am (UTC)(I haven't read through the whole thing yet, but it does not appear to raise anything markedly new. Mind, I spend a lot of time thinking about how chronic conditions which affect the way someone's brain works are tied into who they are as a person.)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-12 02:40 am (UTC)Granted, Down Syndrome is a completely different type of condition, but people talking about "curing" it gives me the same sort of knee-jerk negative reaction as talk about "curing" autism.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-21 05:39 am (UTC)(I'm tired and not saying this terribly well -- I have a number of adult friends who are autistic and, while some of them are happy with who they are, and others would change it, autism doesn't reduce their lifespan. And, while I'm not saying that it's BAD to have people who are physically different, the tongue/palate and facial differences in Down syndrome make it hard for people who have Down syndrome to deal with the reaction of people who are judging their intellectual capability by their facial appearance and potential difficulties with speech.)
This article goes into the details a lot more: http://io9.com/dont-believe-the-hype-we-havent-cured-down-syndrome-1263241671
Basically, no one is talking about changing an adult's personality with this -- they're talking about administering it soon after birth to offset some of the cognitive (and, I hope, cardiac) issues that tend to go along with Down syndrome.
We'll see whether this even passes human trials, or gets to a point where they GET human trials -- but it's not as close-to-eugenics as it sounds at first glance.
-- A <3
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-07 01:51 am (UTC)