Comments on: HUGO Changing Offensive Gene Names

By: M99

M99 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:00:09 +0000

Science and politics don’t mix so leave the scientists alone. They should be 100% free to do their work without interference from the rest of the society.

By: CG

CG — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:01:05 +0000

What they decide to change it to won’t really matter. Scientists will keep calling it what they’ve been calling it in the literature for years.

By: Patrick Lang

Patrick Lang — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:52:02 +0000

Um… who exactly are the names “lunatic fringe homolog” or “radical fringe homolog” offensive to? Has anyone that self-identifies as “lunatic fringe” or “radical fringe” actually complained?

By: a

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:31:18 +0000

a name is just a name. names are not evil, only humans are.

By: Johnson Rodger Johnson

Johnson Rodger Johnson — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:02:55 +0000

I think people need to take the poles out of their asses as far as this issue is concerned. There’s a certain creed of human who feels compelled to be positively maudlin regarding any and all fathomable issues, and way too much is done to appease this creed, to the detriment of the quality of life for those who understand that laughter is still the best medicine of all.

By: messaginglab reads and writes » links for 2006-11-15

messaginglab reads and writes » links for 2006-11-15 — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:30:27 +0000

[...] Genetics and Health » HUGO Changing Offensive Gene Names (tags: names, genes) [...]

By: Matthias Wjst - Science Surf · HUGO Changing Offensive Gene Names

Matthias Wjst - Science Surf · HUGO Changing Offensive Gene Names — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 19:41:11 +0000

[...] Hsien Hsien Lei has a good comment on gene names approved by Human Genome Organisation (HUGO) Gene Nomenclature Committee which are nevertheless offending . Some of the inappropriate names are LFNG – lunatic fringe homolog (Drosophila), MFNG manic fringe homolog (Drosophila) as well as SHH sonic hedgehog homolog (Drosophila). There are many more names that arise only from a particular culture (like death executioner Bcl-2); it seems also a particular kind of humour to call a deaf mouse Beethoven. Yea, yea. [...]

By: Andrew Ravanelli

Andrew Ravanelli — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 23:24:39 +0000

I think the Political Correctness-istas, are going too far. I work on many of these genes and they are indelible in medical science. Most genes originally identified in Drosophila (fruit flies) were named based on the appearance the fly had when the gene was mutated. Many of these genes have homologs in vertebrates, including humans. To keep the scientific community unified, most gene names are kept the same between species. This way, scientists who study human disease can better translate what is known from other species, keeping scientific progress moving swiftly. I work with both mouse and human gene mutations that cause disease and have not encountered patients offended by the name of the gene causing their disease. Few diseases are named for the gene mutation causing it. Most diseases are named after the physician or researcher who discovered the disease. It seems more prudent to let the scientific community work to solve and cure genetic diseases than make them worry about the political correctness of how genes are named.

By: Rebecca Taylor

Rebecca Taylor — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 16:33:46 +0000

At first glance it might seem just a PC move, but I can sympathize with genetic counselors who have to explain things to a patient. “Yes, you have a mutation in your Sonic Hedgehog gene.”

It just makes the genetics field look like a bunch of uncaring, 20 somethings, who pay Xbox in between experiments.