Dec 8, 2008 7:52 AM

Advice for doctors on dealing with personal genomics customers

Think Gene’s Andrew Yates has posted generic responses for medical professionals to use when dealing with patients who come armed with their results from 23andMe or Navigenics. They’re probably quite useful little tools for busy doctors without the time to brush up on the field of personal genomics, but – seeing as this is Andrew […]

Think Gene's Andrew Yates has posted generic responses for medical professionals to use when dealing with patients who come armed with their results from 23andMe or Navigenics.
They're probably quite useful little tools for busy doctors without the time to brush up on the field of personal genomics, but - seeing as this is Andrew Yates - they're also a dig at the careful "medicine but not medicine" stance of personal genomics companies.
An excerpt:

Thus, applying 23andMe to your health care would be a violation of the 23andMe terms of service and, as stated, it "cannot be relied upon at this point for diagnostic purposes." We think 23andMe is a great educational tool, and we are excited about its future potential, but we cannot use the test results to provide any medical services. Further, you consented to "not change your health behaviors on the basis of [23andMe]," so for us to counsel otherwise would be unethical.

Subscribe to Genetic Future.

Daniel MacArthur is a UK-based geneticist who writes about the emerging industry of consumer genomics. He also blogs about personal genomics at Genomes Unzipped. ... Read More

Wired Science Blogger

Topicspersonal genomics

How Genes Have Harnessed Physics to Grow Living Things

The same pulling force that causes “tears” in a glass of wine also shapes embryos. It’s another example of how genes exploit mechanical forces for growth and development.

A Gene-Editing Therapy Cut Cholesterol Levels by Half

An experimental gene-editing therapy developed by Crispr Therapeutics is showing promise for treating heart disease.

Man Has Pig Kidney Removed After Living With It for a Record 9 Months

With the demand for human donor organs desperately outstripping supply, scientists are working to see if genetically edited pig organs can bridge the gap.

Resistant Bacteria Are Advancing Faster Than Antibiotics

One in six laboratory-confirmed bacteria in 2023 proved resistant to antibiotic treatment, according to the World Health Organization—all related to a variety of common diseases globally.

A New Startup Wants to Edit Human Embryos

Seven years after the first gene-edited babies were revealed, biotech startup Manhattan Genomics is reviving the idea of editing human embryos to make disease-free children.

Climate Change Made Hurricane Melissa 4 Times More Likely, Study Suggests

Unusually warm ocean temperatures fueled one of the worst hurricanes on record. New research finds climate change increased the storm’s likelihood.

An Invasive Disease-Carrying Mosquito Has Spread to the Rocky Mountains

The Aedes aegypti mosquito that can carry dengue, yellow fever, and Zika was thought to be too reliant on a hot and wet climate to survive in the Mountain West. But now, a population is thriving in Western Colorado.

How to Follow the Trajectory of Comet 3I/Atlas

The interstellar comet 3I/Atlas reached its closest point to the sun. Here's how to follow the rest of its journey away from our solar system.

Physicists Create a Thermometer for Measuring ‘Quantumness’

“Anomalous” heat flow, which at first appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, gives physicists a way to detect quantum entanglement without destroying it.

Hurricane Melissa Has Meteorologists Terrified

The storm, which is set to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, has stunned meteorologists with its intensity and the speed at which it built.

In Orbit You Have to Slow Down to Speed Up

Driving a spacecraft around a planet isn’t anything like driving on a planet. A physicist explains orbital navigation.

The Hidden Math of Ocean Waves

The math behind even the simplest ocean waves is notoriously uncooperative. A team of Italian mathematicians has made major advances toward understanding it.