Significant scientific advances have now made it possible to map and sequence the entire human genetic structure. In less than two decades the process has become far less costly, making it possible today for nearly anyone to order an individual analysis via the Internet. The information those maps provide can reveal inherited traits as well as the potential for developing disease, making genomics companies informative, useful, and controversial.
The basis of current methods of analysis was established during the Human Genome Project nearly thirty years ago. A scientific race to become the first to create a landmark human genetic map helped speed progress in the field. Full or partial sequencing currently gives individuals additional insight into inherited physical and personality traits, and also points out a predisposition to certain types of cancer.
While analysis gives people far more information than was previously available, it cannot provide answers to all the questions it generates. It does give individuals a detailed look at their own physical characteristics, including the potential to develop certain types of health problems. It creates a more thorough portrait of the genetic results of inheritance. Although useful on many levels, there can be unexpected consequences.
The main advantage of an analysis is medical. Although most people have a generalized idea regarding the physical issues faced by parents or grandparents, knowing whether or not those propensities have been passed on can make predicting and treating certain illnesses easier and more effective. As more people participate, databases can be created that create a baseline for insight.
Although a test is not a diagnosis, it does have the potential to disrupt. If a report indicates an increased likelihood of developing a particular disease, healthy people can take a more proactive approach to managing their own well-being. Knowing more about possible reactions helps doctors more accurately prescribe medications, or to screen at-risk patients more often. This personalized approach is both effective and efficient.
Additional benefits not related directly to medicine are primarily social, allowing individuals with specific genetic issues to contact others who share the same experiences. This provides a wider basis of support for those trying to cope with inherited characteristics and the effects they have on daily living. The primary concern of many scientists is that a genetic analysis will be used to unfairly and incorrectly stigmatize individuals.
As the technology continues to improve, personal sequencing has also created privacy issues. Protecting genetic databases from scrutiny is the ideal solution, but may not be practical in reality. Forensic analysis today provides a great deal of data simply from the residue left behind from a simple touch. It not only reveals individual race, physical characteristics, and disease potential, but can implicate people in crime.
The most important challenge facing genetic information providers is to present critical data without engendering discrimination based only on genetic potential rather than actual behavior. Laws already exist that prevent future employers from discriminatory hiring practices based on genes. Although the health advantages these companies provide are far-reaching, protecting people from societal abuses is equally important.
The basis of current methods of analysis was established during the Human Genome Project nearly thirty years ago. A scientific race to become the first to create a landmark human genetic map helped speed progress in the field. Full or partial sequencing currently gives individuals additional insight into inherited physical and personality traits, and also points out a predisposition to certain types of cancer.
While analysis gives people far more information than was previously available, it cannot provide answers to all the questions it generates. It does give individuals a detailed look at their own physical characteristics, including the potential to develop certain types of health problems. It creates a more thorough portrait of the genetic results of inheritance. Although useful on many levels, there can be unexpected consequences.
The main advantage of an analysis is medical. Although most people have a generalized idea regarding the physical issues faced by parents or grandparents, knowing whether or not those propensities have been passed on can make predicting and treating certain illnesses easier and more effective. As more people participate, databases can be created that create a baseline for insight.
Although a test is not a diagnosis, it does have the potential to disrupt. If a report indicates an increased likelihood of developing a particular disease, healthy people can take a more proactive approach to managing their own well-being. Knowing more about possible reactions helps doctors more accurately prescribe medications, or to screen at-risk patients more often. This personalized approach is both effective and efficient.
Additional benefits not related directly to medicine are primarily social, allowing individuals with specific genetic issues to contact others who share the same experiences. This provides a wider basis of support for those trying to cope with inherited characteristics and the effects they have on daily living. The primary concern of many scientists is that a genetic analysis will be used to unfairly and incorrectly stigmatize individuals.
As the technology continues to improve, personal sequencing has also created privacy issues. Protecting genetic databases from scrutiny is the ideal solution, but may not be practical in reality. Forensic analysis today provides a great deal of data simply from the residue left behind from a simple touch. It not only reveals individual race, physical characteristics, and disease potential, but can implicate people in crime.
The most important challenge facing genetic information providers is to present critical data without engendering discrimination based only on genetic potential rather than actual behavior. Laws already exist that prevent future employers from discriminatory hiring practices based on genes. Although the health advantages these companies provide are far-reaching, protecting people from societal abuses is equally important.
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