In today’s world, responsible biocitizenship has become a new way of belonging in society. Individuals are expected to make “responsible” medical choices, including the decision to be screened for genetic disease. Paradoxically, we have even come to see ourselves as having the right to be responsible vis-à-vis the proactive mitigation of genetic risk. At the same time, the concept of genetic disease has become a new and powerful way of defining the boundaries between human groups. Tay-Sachs, an autosomal recessive disorder, is a case in point—with origins in the period of Eastern European Jewish immigration to the United States and United Kingdom that spanned the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it has a long and fraught history as a marker of Jewish racial difference. In Testing Fate, Shelley Z. Reuter asks: Can the biocitizen, especially one historically defined as a racialized and pathologized Other, be said to be exercising authentic, free choice in deciding whether to undertake genetic screening? Drawing on a range of historical and contemporary examples—doctors’ medical reports of Tay-Sachs since the first case was documented in 1881, the medical field’s construction of Tay-Sachs as a disease of Jewish immigrants, YouTube videos of children with Tay-Sachs that frame the disease as tragic disability avoidable through a simple genetic test, and medical malpractice suits since the test for the disease became available—Reuter shows that true agency in genetic decision-making can be exercised only from a place of cultural inclusion. Choice in this context is in fact a kind of unfreedom—a moral duty to act that is not really agency at all.

Tay-Sachs disease is a rare hereditary disease caused by a genetic mutation that leaves the body unable to produce an enzyme necessary for fat metabolism in nerve cells, producing central nervous system degeneration. In infants, it is characterized by progressive mental deterioration, blindness, paralysis, epileptic seizures, and death by age four. Adult-onset Tay-Sachs occurs in persons who have a genetic mutation that is similar but allows some production of the missing enzyme. There is no treatment for Tay-Sachs.A test to determine whether an infant is carrying the Tay-Sachs disease was introduced in 1969. However, work continues to be done to help find a cure. Because there is no cure for this deadly disease, genetic research is essential. Advances in Genetics presents an eclectic mix of articles of use to all human and molecular geneticists. They are written and edited by recognized leaders in the field and make this an essential series of books for anyone in the genetics field.

Winner of the History of Science category of the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Awards given by the Association of American Publishers Why do racial and ethnic controversies become attached, as they often do, to discussions of modern genetics? How do theories about genetic difference become entangled with political debates about cultural and group differences in America? Such issues are a conspicuous part of the histories of three hereditary diseases: Tay-Sachs, commonly identified with Jewish Americans; cystic fibrosis, often labeled a "Caucasian" disease; and sickle cell disease, widely associated with African Americans. In this captivating account, historians Keith Wailoo and Stephen Pemberton reveal how these diseases—fraught with ethnic and racial meanings for many Americans—became objects of biological fascination and crucibles of social debate. Peering behind the headlines of breakthrough treatments and coming cures, they tell a complex story: about different kinds of suffering and faith, about unequal access to the promises and perils of modern medicine, and about how Americans consume innovation and how they come to believe in, or resist, the notion of imminent medical breakthroughs. With Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell disease as a powerful backdrop, the authors provide a glimpse into a diverse America where racial ideologies, cultural politics, and conflicting beliefs about the power of genetics shape disparate health care expectations and experiences.

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses are an extremely rare group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases that primarily affect children. Core symptoms of these conditions typically include epilepsy, cognitive decline and visual failure. These diseases are so rare that professionals who come into contact with them need a consultative reference work that enables them to become expert, or identify who to contact for more details. Fully updated and revised, this second edition continues to be the definitive volume on this devastating group of disorders. Written by an international collection of authorities in the field, it provides invaluable advice on their diagnosis, patient care, and new treatments that are available. This new edition of the definitive reference text on the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses will prove useful for clinicians, family physicians, research scientists, diagnostic laboratories, families affected by the disease as well as by workers in industry planning translational research.

Presents clinical, biochemical, and genetic information concerning those metabolic anomalies grouped under inborn errors of metabolism.

Like all mothers, Rapp had ambitious plans for her first and only child, Ronan. He would be smart, loyal, physically fearless, and level-headed, but fun. But all of these plans changed when Ronan was diagnosed at nine months old with a rare and always-fatal degenerative disorder.

This second edition volume expands on the first edition with more detailed methodologies on prenatal testing and diagnosis, and also covers next-generation sequencing techniques. The chapters in this book are divided into three sections: preimplantation genetic testing, traditional prenatal testing, and non-invasive prenatal testing. This book covers topics such as molecular testing for preimplantation genetic diagnosis of single gene disorders; DNA extraction from various types of prenatal specimens; prenatal diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs disease; chromosomal SNP microarrays; and isolation of cell-free DNA from maternal plasma. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and thorough, Prenatal Diagnosis, Second Edition is a valuable resource for any researcher interested in reproducing these techniques in their clinical laboratories.

As patients live longer and need to be treated over the long term and the management of pediatric cardiology problems and congenital heart disease moves more into the mainstream, turn to Pediatric Cardiology for current clinical guidance. Trust Dr. Robert Anderson, godfather of cardiac morphology, to bring you coverage of potential cardiovascular anomalies, all potential diseases related to anomalies or developmental problems, and methods for management and treatment. New contributors from all over the world-including 70% new to this edition-present the latest challenges in the field and emphasize the adolescent and post-operative outcomes for management. Now, in full color, this leading reference offers you everything you need to treat and manage pediatric heart conditions. A comprehensive and exhaustive reference of fundamental and clinical aspects of heart disease in infancy and childhood. The contributors are well-known experts in the field and the editors are a world class group who have published extensively in the field. Emphasizes the treatment of corrected congenital heart disease for coverage of the clinical management of cardiac problems in the adolescent and young adult. Integrates development in chapters on lesions to make physiology clinically relevant for the specific cardiac lesions. Provides the latest clinical perspectives on neonate cardiac development management issues so you can offer the best long-term care. Presents the contributions of 70% new authors, from all over the world, in a consistent format to make referencing global perspectives quick and easy. Captures the nuances of the anatomical structure of lesions through full-color illustrations depicting morphologic, congenital, and surgically corrected examples for exceptional visual guidance.

Completely updated for its Fourth Edition, this book is the most comprehensive, current review of the molecular and genetic basis of neurologic and psychiatric diseases. More than 120 leading experts provide a fresh, new assessment of recent molecular, genetic, and genomic advances, offer new insights into disease pathogenesis, describe the newest available therapies, and explore promising areas of therapeutic development. This edition features an updated section on psychiatric disease and expanded, updated chapters on human genomics, gene therapy, and ethical issues. Six new chapters cover congenital myasthenic syndromes, hereditary spastic paraplegia, ion channel disorders, the phakomatoses, beta-galactosidase deficiency, and prion diseases. A Neurologic Gene Map describes the chromosome locus of all the genetic diseases and their gene product where known. The fully searchable online text will be available on a companion Website. (www.rosenbergneuroandpsychdisease.com)

The fourth edition of this classical reference book can once again be relied upon to present a cohesive and up-to-date exposition of all aspects of human and medical genetics. Human genetics has become one of the main basic sciences in medicine, and molecular genetics is increasingly becoming a major part of this field. This new edition integrates a wealth of new information - mainly describing the influence of the "molecular revolution" - including the principles of epigenetic processes which together create the phenotype of a human being. Other revisions are an improved layout, sub-division into a larger number of chapters, as well as two-colour print throughout for ease of reference, and many of the figures are now in full colour. For graduates and those already working in medical genetics.