Genetic Testing in the Hands of the Consumer - The Genomics Revolution
Published: 15 November 2016
Published: 15 November 2016
Yet, fast-forward a few years and extraordinary advances in DNA sequencing technology, increased speed and precision, and a significant reduction in cost have opened the floodgates for direct-to-consumer personal DNA testing from the comfort of the home.
Gaining insight into one’s DNA code could satisfy curiosity as to ancestral origins, provide a general overview of genetic traits, resolve paternity or reduce concern over a life-time risk of certain diseases.
Marketed as a device that allows the customer to take control of their health, saliva or buccal swab tests can be purchased online from overseas-based commercial companies. The kits are simply posted out, and samples are collected and returned in the mail.
Rather than the whole DNA code of each individual being ‘read’, certain genetic sequences that have previously been identified to contain regions related to disease susceptibility are mapped. This approach delivers the individual a DNA ‘snapshot’ identifying genetic variants that occur in the population and can be used to calculate the relative risk of future disease.
The potential benefits of ‘self’ genetic testing include:
(Oh 2019)
The potential pitfalls of ‘self’ genetic testing include:
(NHMRC 2014)
Parents may choose to include their children in DNA assessment to trace family patterns; however, the ethical implications for unconsenting minors who have a ‘right-not-to-know’ is unwavering. Should an unexpected harmful mutation be identified, that child must bear that knowledge, which could affect not only their risk of a disease but also the possibility that their own children could inherit the faulty gene. Such considerations also extend to untested family members, such as siblings, who do not wish to obtain such information. This raises the ethical complication of whether a doctor has a clinical responsibility to inform that person or not.
Being in possession of genetic information could have legal ramifications relating to the provision of genetic information to health insurers (NHMRC 2014). The potential for misappropriation of this data to discriminate against an individual is a genuine concern.
Despite remarkable technological advances in our ability to examine our genes close-up, we are much further behind in regulating the use of this information and defusing the ethical minefield that self genomic testing introduces (NHMRC 2014). The medical and economic benefits of harnessing big genomic data are plain to see and will certainly be the future in the fight against disease. The conversation as to how an individual’s data is utilised for the good and how they are supported and protected is paramount.
Kirsten Hogg PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons) conducted her PhD studies in reproductive biology in Edinburgh, UK studying endocrine and metabolic dysfunction in a model of polycystic ovary syndrome. Moving to Canada and then Australia, Kirsten has since built considerable research expertise in fetal and placental development, with a particular focus on the role of epigenetics in health and disease. She has had numerous research papers published in peer-reviewed science journals and is the sole author of an e-book, a molecular biology troubleshooting guide aimed at early career scientists. Kirsten is using her research background and passion for science to pursue her interests in scientific and medical writing. See Educator Profile