Screening and gene therapy

As part of the first Connectome in Science association round table, we discussed the subject of the screening. After a brief introduction on testing, including the example of HIV.

  • The first question was posed by Amin Benadjal, doctoral student at the Institut de la Vision in Paris: "Have you ever been tested for HIV and why?

Arnaud Roussel, a fourth-year medical student, launched the first line: "This is important. There is a tendency to think that HIV is specific to a population, but this virus is not specific to a population. affects the population as a whole. Follow-up of infected people is necessary to contain the virus. Then, Rémi Delvic, a student in the first year of his bachelor's degree in computer science at the Sorbonne said: "It's important to think about the other person, there is no such thing as a virus," he said. not just a self-reporting dimension of screening.. Today, we can live with HIV thanks to advances in science. »

Valentin Sonneville, a second year medical student, did not fail to point out that Legislation is not always in line with medical advances.The company is also involved in the donation of blood for homosexuals. The results of reliable screening could thus no longer impose the four-month period of sexual abstinence before any donation, which stigmatizes a population on the basis of its sexual orientation.

In addition, Charlotte Lassaigne, a fourth-year medical student at the Sorbonne, says that HIV testing is a "very important part of a person's life. voluntary screening and agrees with Kenza Kadri, doctoral student at the University of Plymouth, that this virus has specific modes of transmission. This makes it possible to filtrer les personnes wishing to be screened and therefore to Limit unnecessary and costly screenings. Amin Benadjal will announce that in France HIV testing is a "real" way to prevent HIV infection. organized screening "because it is free and subject to public campaigns in high school or college for example.

Jennifer Guisset, a first year medical student in Italy, brings the notion of personal responsibility. In order to be able to go for screening, you first need to have knowledge and information, which is already targeting a first type of public. In support of this, Charlotte points out that the screening is a failure of prevention. The problem," Kenza says, "is that we're making the prevention in times of crisis. The government must invest in health care. Arnaud will argue through history, taking the case of rubella: "When vaccines first appeared, everyone was vaccinated because it prevented many deaths. The moment the disease disappears, people stop getting vaccinated, it's the epidemic rebound. It is only when you see a lot of cases, that you act. »

Valentin will support this argument, then will put forward one important thing: the pandemic of Sars-Covid-19 has shown us once again the skepticism populations, particularly in France, on screening. In support of these remarks, Rémi speaks of "the State and its relationship with the people". It is, for example, the often changing information that contributes to skepticism. As Kenza will add, the information is sometimes contradictory and leads the population to doubt. Amin, will raise an interesting point: this mistrust is not always unjustified taking the case of hepatitis B vaccines that were possibly correlated with the onset of multiple sclerosis.

Arnaud will wish to clarify an essential point in the debate: the confusion between health care professionals and the state. "Doubting authority is not necessarily a bad thing. The State intervenes in health care through screening campaigns, reimburses certain treatments... But scientific data are facts. But scientific data are facts. They are two different things. "Amin will specify that in research, there are two types of laboratories: private and public. The public laboratories are affiliated with the State and must be irreproachable. For example, L214's shocking videos in some private labs put the public's trust in medical advances to the test.

  • In the second part of the discussion, the discussion began with the following question: "What do you think about the state's mandatory infant immunization requirements?

Kenza gives the facts: of three vaccines a few years ago, 11 are now mandatory. Charlotte responds: "We as physicians are pushed to not be at the center of care and leave the patient on the sidelines, letting them believe that they cannot understand the process of care. We need to move out of this model and involve the patient. It would be relevant to educate people on the scientific basis and not just "Vaccinate yourself"".

Amin will explain that in France, we no longer have control over the voting of laws after the election of elected officials. There is a abyss between health actors and beneficiaries: "the State makes laws, researchers and doctors are informed afterwards. As for the population, although it is at the heart of the healthcare process, it is the last to be informed. "The majority of the problem is to impose a vaccine without prior explanation. Kenza observes that on the government's website, the government does not explain why and how the vaccine works.

Jennifer, in turn, will take the floor and say, "For the public it's not not intuitive understand what a vaccine is. Even if the government website explains in a few words what this virus is and why you get vaccinated, nothing will change, the problem is deeper. Search for information is not a reflex for everyone ». Valentin argues that information is more and more available but the population doesn't go looking for it because it is not not accessible to the lay public. Nathaly Romero, student of the European Master of Genetics, agrees and raises the problems caused by the information relayed by the media. Rémi, for his part, deplores the accessibility and notes that it is a matter of the responsibility of the scientist to popularize the informationwhich is also part of prevention. Amin will say that "it is from pedagogy that awareness comes". Jennifer will conclude with : "One cannot demonize only doctors or patients. A step is to be made in both directionsThe aim of the project is for scientists to popularize and for patients to inform and empower themselves. »

Amin will initiate an example of prevention having been organized in France against obesity. They have educated the population over the long term and a drastic decrease in obesity was observed thereafter. "It need to clearly explain to people why. It would cost less. "Charlotte says, "We see patients who don't care about their health every day. A certain population is not aware of their health and they have their health as they see fit. Arnaud will intervene: "Could these people, who are not interested in their health, be more aware from childhood? We are not unfortunately not egalitarian in the face of our education. »

Nesrine Mandhouj, clinical research officer agrees and will evoke the fact that it is not for lack of knowledge in the majority of cases that the population eats badly but for lack of means, also evoked by Kenza. Jennifer will present the example of Chile and their food labelling system. Combined with this, the sensitization of children to nutrition and food health education at school, which allows knowledge to be transmitted to parents, leading to a standardization of knowledge, reaching the youngest. « Health is not built in a day, it is a product of multiple factorsIt is not enough to take a magic pill. Everyone can understand the fundamental principles of health and act accordingly, if they wish. »

  • To conclude this round table, the moderator questioned all the participants: "Would you prefer to know if you are sick or not? »

After a quick roundtable discussion, the stakeholders agree that they would like to know that they are or will be sick despite the stress of the information. This will continue with topics such as: deep sedation, euthanasia, hope for future treatments, end-of-life forecasting...

To conclude, this first round table ended with a constructive exchange and a lot of good ideas came out of it. Come and participate in the next ones!

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