Retail genomics offers your personal DNA report

Article in Wired

So its been 4 years since the human genome was sequenced.

If you could, would you want to know what diseases you and your children are predisposed too? We will know whether our children are predisposed to certain traits or talents — athletics or music or languages, etc.....

Companies will take a sample of your DNA, scan it, and tell you about your genetic future, as well as your past. The company will tell you which diseases and conditions are associated with your genes. A another company, called Navigenics, focuses on matching your genes to current medical research, calculating your genetic risk for a range of diseases.

For exapmle, you're told you have a genetic variation at rs6983267 that's been associated with a 20 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer. What do you do?

This is happening as we speak.

We will no longer have the problem of not knowing, but we will face the burden of whether we want to know in the first place.

Here's what I see happening ( if it hasn't already). Matchmaking companies like Eharmony will start matching couples based on DNA !

THat is really scary but on the same token very sensible.

Assuming I was already sequenced and I had the opportunity to "mate" with a "sequenced" partner. We could theoretically create higher life forms. "aliens" ???

reply to post by x-phile

I heard about this the other day. It's actually pretty neat, and if I had spare cash to throw at it, I'd possibly consider doing it. But, I do see a few problems with it.

1) What happens if insurance companies get a hold of this information somehow? If you have a genetic predisposition to certain conditions, does that mean they can deny you coverage?

2) Okay, so let's say you find out everything there is to know about your potential medical future. What are you supposed to do with that information? Does having a dramatically increased risk of certain cancers make you safer, or does it just worry the hell out of you for no reason? I mean, if you get the cancer, you're going to have to contend with it anyway. So it isn't like an insight into your genetic risk factors is going to benefit you. It could, however, lead to increased screening and diagnostic procedures to detect certain forms of cancer earlier. You could also use it to avoid exacerbating things like heart disease, joint disorders, etc. But I don't know how specific it actually gets.

Okay, maybe there weren't enough points to justify numbering them, but ... oh well. The numbering is done!

reply to post by shoran


As far a s the insurnace companies. Yes, they could require you to provide this information but I think that is several years down the road. As for the dilemma of knowing you or your kids a predisposed and what to do about it......?

That's the big question.