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Scientists Release Genetic Code of Mice

Aired December 04, 2002 - 14:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Scientists have just released the complete genetic code of the mouse.
Now, this is important because, genetically, the mouse is similar to you and to me -- and to Ann Kellan, our science correspondent, who has more on this story.

Now, we're talking about close cousins here, aren't we -- Ann.

ANN KELLAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are. Actually, we have the genes in us to make a tail, so that's how closely related we are.

PHILLIPS: That's scary.

KELLAN: We're -- yes, we are a close relative. Now, you think of genes as a list of instructions contained in every living cell that determines how our bodies function, from the color of our hair to how fast our hearts beat. Well, the mouse is the second mammal to be genetically decoded.

You might recall the excitement two years ago, when the scientists sequenced the human genome, decoding billions of building blocks that make up our genetic blueprint. Well, today researchers today from six countries unveiled the genetic makeup of a mouse -- 2.5 billion code letters long.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCIS COLLINS, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: For while today's announcement is about the genome of a laboratory mouse, it's most significant impact will be on advances in human health. The dog here has been called man's best friend and by the way, we're about to start sequencing its genome, too. But it's the laboratory mouse that is the medical researcher's best friend. This is the most widely used animal model for studies of disease.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KELLAN: So think of any medical breakthrough, from cancer research, new heart medicines, treatments for kidney disease or diabetes, and it likely involved research on a mouse. It is a crucial research tool and it is a mammal and, physiologically, it's very similar to humans. We have about the same number of genes, about 30,000. Humans and mice share about 80 percent of the most important genes that make critical proteins, like enzymes and hormones, that keep our bodies running. Now, because of the similarities, while decoding the mouse genome, researchers identified 1,200 new genes in the human genome and then they identified 9,000 mouse genes that they never knew existed.

But researchers also found some differences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC LANDER, THE WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE: Well, of course, the differences between our genes specify all the reasons why we're tall, erect creatures with big brains and mice are little furry creatures running around on the ground. But when you look deep inside the body, we have the same organs as the mouse and same basic bone systems as the mouse. And so, the basic genetic machinery that specifies a mammal is the same between mouse and human, and we see that in having the same sets of genes in, roughly, the same orders across those organisms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KELLAN: So other differences -- mice have more genes that regulate smell, sex, mating and reproduction and genes to fight diseases. And mice metabolize drugs differently than humans, which we found to be an interesting difference.

PHILLIPS: Well, yes, definitely. With that difference -- and if they do metabolize drugs differently, then why use them in the lab, Ann?

KELLAN: It's a good question, but researchers are saying the similarities outweigh the differences and the researcher say, knowing the differences, that they can modify the genes in the mice now to react to and metabolize drugs more like humans.

PHILLIPS: So does this mean more treatments and more cures quicker?

KELLAN: That's what they're hoping. First, now that we have this decoded book, they have to read it and understand it, so we're really at the beginning stages of understanding the code, so we're still years away from major breakthroughs, but they're hoping that knowing this is going to actually help them in their research.

PHILLIPS: Wow. It's fascinating stuff.

KELLAN: Yes.

KYRA: Ann Kellan, thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired December 4, 2002 - 14:48   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Scientists have just released the complete genetic code of the mouse.
Now, this is important because, genetically, the mouse is similar to you and to me -- and to Ann Kellan, our science correspondent, who has more on this story.

Now, we're talking about close cousins here, aren't we -- Ann.

ANN KELLAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are. Actually, we have the genes in us to make a tail, so that's how closely related we are.

PHILLIPS: That's scary.

KELLAN: We're -- yes, we are a close relative. Now, you think of genes as a list of instructions contained in every living cell that determines how our bodies function, from the color of our hair to how fast our hearts beat. Well, the mouse is the second mammal to be genetically decoded.

You might recall the excitement two years ago, when the scientists sequenced the human genome, decoding billions of building blocks that make up our genetic blueprint. Well, today researchers today from six countries unveiled the genetic makeup of a mouse -- 2.5 billion code letters long.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCIS COLLINS, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: For while today's announcement is about the genome of a laboratory mouse, it's most significant impact will be on advances in human health. The dog here has been called man's best friend and by the way, we're about to start sequencing its genome, too. But it's the laboratory mouse that is the medical researcher's best friend. This is the most widely used animal model for studies of disease.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KELLAN: So think of any medical breakthrough, from cancer research, new heart medicines, treatments for kidney disease or diabetes, and it likely involved research on a mouse. It is a crucial research tool and it is a mammal and, physiologically, it's very similar to humans. We have about the same number of genes, about 30,000. Humans and mice share about 80 percent of the most important genes that make critical proteins, like enzymes and hormones, that keep our bodies running. Now, because of the similarities, while decoding the mouse genome, researchers identified 1,200 new genes in the human genome and then they identified 9,000 mouse genes that they never knew existed.

But researchers also found some differences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC LANDER, THE WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE: Well, of course, the differences between our genes specify all the reasons why we're tall, erect creatures with big brains and mice are little furry creatures running around on the ground. But when you look deep inside the body, we have the same organs as the mouse and same basic bone systems as the mouse. And so, the basic genetic machinery that specifies a mammal is the same between mouse and human, and we see that in having the same sets of genes in, roughly, the same orders across those organisms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KELLAN: So other differences -- mice have more genes that regulate smell, sex, mating and reproduction and genes to fight diseases. And mice metabolize drugs differently than humans, which we found to be an interesting difference.

PHILLIPS: Well, yes, definitely. With that difference -- and if they do metabolize drugs differently, then why use them in the lab, Ann?

KELLAN: It's a good question, but researchers are saying the similarities outweigh the differences and the researcher say, knowing the differences, that they can modify the genes in the mice now to react to and metabolize drugs more like humans.

PHILLIPS: So does this mean more treatments and more cures quicker?

KELLAN: That's what they're hoping. First, now that we have this decoded book, they have to read it and understand it, so we're really at the beginning stages of understanding the code, so we're still years away from major breakthroughs, but they're hoping that knowing this is going to actually help them in their research.

PHILLIPS: Wow. It's fascinating stuff.

KELLAN: Yes.

KYRA: Ann Kellan, thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com