U.S. top court weighs patentability of human genes

By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) – Soon after learning that his son had autism, Hollywood producer Jon Shestack ("Air Force One") tried to get researchers investigating the genetic causes of the disorder to pool their DNA samples, the better to identify genes most likely to cause that disorder. But his approach to scientists at universities across the country in the late 1990s hit a brick wall: They refused to join forces, much less share the DNA. "Each thought they needed to hold on to it to publish and patent," Shestack said in an interview. "This seemed criminal to us." The U.S. …