I worked in the general area of DNA sequencing and SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) detection during graduate school (1998-2003) and there is still so much that we just don't know about specific causalities beyond some SNP locations for Alzheimer's and for BRCA1/BRCA2, two areas that do point to a bleak prognosis for breast cancer patients.
Although they will be scanning ~600k areas of your DNA, I find it hard to believe that their final analysis will yield much in the way of concrete evidence. I'm not sure if $1000 is a fair price for generalizations. Then of course, there are the privacy issues.
I did a little poking around and found this:
"We may use Genetic and Phenotypic Information to conduct 23andMe-authorized scientific research and development. Any Phenotypic Information you provide is done on a voluntary basis. We may provide third party organizations access to this information for scientific research, but without your name or any other Account Information."
Without reading the full privacy disclosure (I haven't done that), this statement is extremely worrisome. It sounds as though they will attempt to protect your phenotypic information through making your disclosure voluntary, but that your genetic information will be available to 23andMe and third parties.
As we do get better at predicting genetic factors for everything from cancer to poor eyesight, our genetic information will become more and more valuable and the use of this information will have more and more serious ethical considerations. The Senate is trying to pass non-discrimination laws covering genetic information (GINA Act of 2007), so far without success.
Sorry to be Capt. Bringdown, but that's how I see it.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2007-11-27 06:59 pm (UTC)Although they will be scanning ~600k areas of your DNA, I find it hard to believe that their final analysis will yield much in the way of concrete evidence. I'm not sure if $1000 is a fair price for generalizations. Then of course, there are the privacy issues.
I did a little poking around and found this:
"We may use Genetic and Phenotypic Information to conduct 23andMe-authorized scientific research and development. Any Phenotypic Information you provide is done on a voluntary basis. We may provide third party organizations access to this information for scientific research, but without your name or any other Account Information."
Without reading the full privacy disclosure (I haven't done that), this statement is extremely worrisome. It sounds as though they will attempt to protect your phenotypic information through making your disclosure voluntary, but that your genetic information will be available to 23andMe and third parties.
As we do get better at predicting genetic factors for everything from cancer to poor eyesight, our genetic information will become more and more valuable and the use of this information will have more and more serious ethical considerations. The Senate is trying to pass non-discrimination laws covering genetic information (GINA Act of 2007), so far without success.
Sorry to be Capt. Bringdown, but that's how I see it.