The Open Secret of DTC Medical Genetic Testing
This is the third of four related posts analyzing 23andMe’s decision to separate its health and ancestry DTC genetic testing services. For more please see 23andMe’s New Game Plan: What it Means for the Company and for DTC Genetic Testing, A Fundamental Right to Genetic Information (Now More Expensive Than Before) and DTC Genomic Research: Revolution or Minor Uprising?
For well over a year, the DTC genetic testing industry in general, and 23andMe in particular, has been undergoing a shift in the way it characterizes and promotes its offerings. Where they once focused on the educational and recreational features of their services, DTC companies have rolled out an increasing array of tests and reports that appear unambiguously aimed at influencing their customers’ clinical or medical decision-making.
Genomics and Personalized Medicine: Facts, Fiction, Future?
Over the weekend I took part in the 13th Conference on Genetics & Ethics in the 21st Century in Breckenridge, CO. The theme was “Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Facts, Fiction, Future?” Although the altitude (Breckenridge is at 9,600 ft) posed a problem for several participants, the conference otherwise went off without a hitch.
The program kicked off with a focus on the state of genetic and genomic knowledge with an excellent talk by Richard Gibbs of Baylor’s Human Genome Sequencing Center, who provided a progress report on the 1000 Genomes project and predictions for the future of large-scale genomics research. Penn State’s Kenneth Weiss followed with “Genetic Causation: A Fermi Problem” and presented a compelling challenge to the received wisdom of genetic heritability. Some of the most interesting discussion was driven by a question posed to Richard Gibbs: whether there are instances where the ethical, legal and social discourse surrounding genetics and genomics has either failed to keep pace with, or outstripped, the progress of science. Beyond a general consensus that Gattaca-style genetic prediction lies far beyond the horizon (if it will ever be possible), Gibbs seemed to think that on the whole the ELSI discussion was often out in front of the science, but not by an inappropriate distance. This topic provided fodder for considerable debate throughout the remainder of the conference.
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