One of the many questions that readers have asked us to address concerns the actual day to day operation of a commercial gene bank. The HELIX FOUNDATION, INC. operates a cryogenic genetic storage facility among its several business activities. Herein we will trace the process of gene storage from the initial contact through the final withdrawal and use of a sample.
A donor (someone who desires to have his or her DNA preserved and stored) contacts the Helix Foundation, by either phone or letter. Such calls are usually in response to seeing either our literature or an article about the Helix Foundation in a newspaper or journal. In response, the Helix Foundation mails a detailed information packet. This packet of literature explains the basic purpose of the Helix Foundation, i.e. to provide a facility for the storage of DNA samples and discusses potential benefits of DNA storage. Potential benefits include turning back the hands of time by applying one's own DNA, stored today, to the task of a cosmetic DNA replacement several decades from now. Genetic therapies, gene replacement, cancer cures and treatment will all require healthy DNA samples to be effective. Currently healthy DNA may be required to take advantage of one or more of these recent medical developments. A burgeoning area of genetic research concerns the genetic transforming of farm animals such as pigs, goats, cattle, and sheep. These "transgenic" animals, as they are called, grow, as part of their bodies, organs, tissues, enzymes and hormones that are for all intents fully human-compatible. An ultimate application of this technology would allow us to grow replacement organs in a farm animal and harvest those organs or tissues for completely safe transplantation with no danger of rejection. For the futurist, there is the possibility of having your body cloned, possibly many years after your death. Or, DNA may be stored for geneologic purposes, to enable your descendants to know more about you, their ancestor. Or, you may be more contemporary and store the DNA of a pet or prize- winning horse to permit cloning of this animal. (we use the phrase 'more contemporary' because horses, pigs, and cattle have already been cloned for commercial use).
A description and membership application for the Helix Society is also included in the literature packet. The Helix Society is the educational arm of the Helix Foundation, Inc. and disseminates information about the theoretic, scientific, social, legal, religious, moral and ethical issues related to genetic engineering, specifically the use of and the regeneration of stored DNA. Membership is open to all interested individuals and organizations.
An extensive list of scientific references accompanies this information so that the prospective donor may carefully evaluate the merits of storing his or hers DNA. These also allow us to fulfil our educational mission.
A legal contract is also included with the literature packet. This Agreement For The Storage Of Genetic Material outlines and explains in plain language all of the details, from a business point of view, of the storage process. The final sheet within the packet is a single simple instruction sheet. It explains each and every action to be taken to begin the process of storing a sample of DNA. Upon receipt of a completed application the Helix Foundation enters all the information into its database. A specimen collection kit is sent to the donor. This kit consists of two blood collection tubes with a special stabilizing agent that prevents any collected blood from degrading while in transit to the lab, an inner plastic bag (to allow mailing via an overnight carrier), a preaddressed envelope and box to hold the collected sample. The kit may be taken to any local clinical laboratory or doctor's office where a small sample (about 10 ml) of blood is drawn and placed in the special collection tubes. The tubes are then placed in the Federal Express mailer and shipped, pre-paid, to the laboratory.
As soon as the blood sample arrives it is examined to make sure that it arrived intact and is stable enough to begin processing. The red blood cells are removed from the sample. Red blood cells do not contain DNA. The remaining white blood cells (those that contain DNA) are washed many times until they are free of all plasma contaminants. These white blood cells are then lyophilized (a fancy form of freeze-drying) so that the DNA is placed in a very stable physical state. The DNA sample is now ready to be placed in cryogenic storage. The Helix Foundation uses a bath of liquid nitrogen to maintain a temperature of close to -300 degrees Centigrade - colder than any natural place on Earth. Under these conditions DNA can last, unchanged, for millions of years.