August 23, 2012. (Romereports.com) On March 7, 1959 Dr. Jerome Lejeune discovered a genetic abnormality in a fetus. This test would later on be used to determine if the newborn would have
Down Syndrome.This Rimini exhibit titled “What is man, that one is mindful of him?” is dedicated to the French doctor.
The exhibit includes images of Lejeune's house, including photographs of his daughter Clara working in the lab. Also in the exhibit is his personal diary and the microscope used to discover the abnormality.
The issue itself is quite timely since on August 20th a new controversy come about when a German pharmaceutical company began marketing a test to detect if a fetus had Down Syndrome. For the French doctor, the goal wasn't just to detect the extra chromosome, but to find a way to actually cure those affected. It's a mission that continues to this day with the Jerome Lejeune Foundation.
