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Commentary on human genetics and evolution, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, and the personal genomics industry.
Daniel MacArthur
I write about the genetic and evolutionary basis of human variation, and the companies trying to sell you information about your genome.
Daniel also blogs about personal genomics at Genomes Unzipped.
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Category: direct-to-consumer genetic testing
Two days ago I reported a rumour that the FDA might have convinced genotyping chip provider Illumina to stop providing its products to direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies - a move that would effectively prevent these companies from being able to...
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 5:30 PM • 1 Comments •
Category: commercial genetic testing
Investigations launched by the FDA and US Congress have potentially set the stage for a large-scale regulatory crackdown on the embryonic direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry. Such a move would be premature, and would do more harm than good to consumers. The industry needs to change, but a more careful, measured approach based on increasing the transparency of genetic tests is the best way forward.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 9:30 AM • 9 Comments •
Category: transparency
Recent announcements by the US Food and Drug Administration and Congress suggest an impending regulatory crackdown on companies offering genetic information directly to consumers. In an article on Xconomy, Dan Vorhaus and I argue that the best way forward is not to bring in strong regulation, but rather to encourage the industry to move towards greater transparency.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 7:30 AM • 3 Comments •
Category: consumer-driven research
After a year in review, a manuscript from direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe describing novel genetic associations obtained by mining their customer database has been published by PLoS Genetics.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 6:30 AM • 9 Comments •
Category: direct-to-consumer genetic testing
Personal genomics company 23andMe has revealed that it accidentally mixed up the samples from up to 96 customers, resulting in genetic data being returned to the wrong individuals. If the industry is to survive it needs to ensure these mistakes don't happen; but customers also need to play a role as watchdogs of their own genetic data.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 6:00 AM • 31 Comments •
Category: commercial genetic testing
The last week has seen the beginning of a likely massive regulatory crackdown on the personal genomics industry, with investigations into the field launched by the FDA and the US Congress. It seems likely that the result will be major regulatory burdens placed on the industry - an outcome that would do lasting damage to innovation in the nascent field of personalised medicine.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 8:35 PM • 67 Comments •
Category: direct-to-consumer genetic testing
An excoriation of one of the worst op-ed articles on personal genomics I've ever had the misfortune to encounter: Camilla Long's hackish dismissal of the usefulness of genetic risk information.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 1:00 PM • 33 Comments •
Category: attitudes towards genetic testing
Personal genomics company Counsyl has begun to emerge from stealth mode, offering large-scale screening for serious disease mutations in prospective parents. Unlike most current personal genomics products targeting common, complex diseases, Counsyl's offering has
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 5:00 PM • •
Category: direct-to-consumer genetic testing
Genetic genealogy blogger Blaine Bettinger writes about his increased genetic risk of type 2 diabetes, revealed by a personal genome scan from direct-to-consumer testing company 23andMe.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 10:45 AM • 8 Comments •
Category: decode genetics
deCODEme's free offer of processing raw genome scan data for customers of rival 23andMe has back-fired due to embarrassing glitches in the interpretations provided. There's a lesson here both for personal genomics companies and for their customers.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 7:15 AM • 4 Comments •
