Antagonistic Pleiotropy: Disease Isn’t All Bad

Abstract

George C. William’s theory of antagonistic pleiotropy suggested that some diseases include benefits that could aid in the survival of an individual which perpetuates the existence of that disease in the population. By reviewing on five diseases found within humans: Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s disease, coronary artery disease, and cancer, we can see examples how these diseases persist in the gene pool. This can be indicative of Darwin’s theory of natural selection. An evaluation of treatments for antagonistic pleiotropy disease will be discussed, including the ethical considerations of gene therapy. Treating antagonistic pleiotropy most likely would not be sustainable due to the risk of population aging.