In 1981, Marvel Comics released a storyline in the Uncanny X-Men series, entitled Days of the Future Past. In its dystopian future, a race called mutants, carriers of unique genetic variations, are hunted by giant robots and incarcerated in concentration camps. It was an extravagant tale of science fiction — later made into a Hollywood blockbuster — that kids all over the world read with delight.
But in 2023, we are entering an era where sequencing individuals’ genomes for health or identification purposes is becoming routine. The benefits are numerous, from public health to disease prevention and personalised medicine. But can genetic information also be used to discriminate between individuals and oppress vulnerable population groups as in Days of the Future Past?
Interestingly, the first genetic discrimination predates Days of the Future Past. In the late 1970s mandatory genetic screening programmes for sickle cell disease (a group of inherited blood disorders) in the US adversely impacted members of the Black population who were not able to gain employment or medical insurance following a positive test result.
