Decode your DNA for $1000 Options

[jonathan83]

http://www.wired.com/medtech/genetics/maga...-12/ff_genomics

Companies will take a sample of your DNA, scan it, and tell you about your genetic future, as well as your ancestral past. A much-anticipated Silicon Valley startup called 23andMe offers a thorough tour of your genealogy, tracing your DNA back through the eons. Sign up members of your family and you can track generations of inheritance for traits like athletic endurance or bitter-taste blindness. The company will also tell you which diseases and conditions are associated with your genes — from colorectal cancer to lactose intolerance — giving you the ability to take preventive action. A second company, called Navigenics, focuses on matching your genes to current medical research, calculating your genetic risk for a range of diseases.

go to https://www.23andme.com/


seems pretty cool.

[Spectatrix]

Yeah, I've read a bit about this before. One of the founders is the wife of one of the Google founders.

[Hartmann]

I am thinking about doing this simply for medical reasons (I don't know my family's medical history, so it'd be nice).

[Spectatrix]

I am thinking about doing this simply for medical reasons (I don't know my family's medical history, so it'd be nice).

Adopted or just have a family stringy with info (or scared of doctors)?

[Spectatrix]

I wonder if this service would find my PKD? Obviously, I already know that I have it, but I'd like to know which mutation I have (there are 2, maybe 3 genes that can cause it).

I decided to email them and find out.

This post has been edited by Spectatrix: Nov 19 2007, 04:56 PM

[Dogmeat]

ya know for the peice of mind this could give me, a grand really isnt that much ...

[Hartmann]

Adopted or just have a family stringy with info (or scared of doctors)?

Do not know my biological father and have no desire to track him down.

[FORSAKENR320]

i refuse to allow my dna to be tested...... damn government keeping record of my dna without my permission, using it in freaky lab tests and shit..... tracing me down, murdering me and replacing me with a freaky government loving clone... fuck that

[blaarg]

i refuse to allow my dna to be tested...... damn government keeping record of my dna without my permission, using it in freaky lab tests and shit..... tracing me down, murdering me and replacing me with a freaky government loving clone... fuck that

more scary is how insurance companies could use this info...

[Matt]

more scary is how insurance companies could use this info...

Yep. There is no way I would ever do this without retaining the ability to sue them for millions if they do not immediately destroy any DNA and data acquired from the DNA after generating and giving me the report.

[Spectatrix]

The DNA is destroyed, but the data is not. They update your report with new info when new genetic studies come out.

However, they will delete all of your info from their database within 30 days if you request it.

Once you purchase genotyping services from 23andMe, you will receive a saliva sample collection kit and you will then send your sample directly to our contracted laboratory. The laboratory will extract DNA from your saliva sample and use it for the genotyping analysis. After the analysis is complete and the data have been incorporated into our tools for you to use on our website, all DNA and saliva samples will be destroyed. Neither 23andMe nor its contracted laboratory will save or store any DNA or saliva samples.

Although confirmed cases of genetic discrimination are thankfully rare, the fear of discrimination by insurance companies is one of the main reasons people hesitate to pursue access to their genetic information. We want you to understand the laws that protect you, as well as their limitations.

As of November 2007, no comprehensive federal legislation has been enacted that protects Americans against genetic discrimination in individual insurance coverage, but we are hopeful this will change in the near future. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in April 2007, and is currently on hold in the Senate.

If GINA is successfully signed into law, two types of discrimination will be outlawed. First, insurance companies will be prevented from requiring you to reveal your genetic information to them, and from using this information for enrollment or premium decisions. Similarly, employers will not be able to make firing or hiring decisions based on genetic information, nor will they be allowed to require you to provide genetic information to them.

While GINA is not currently law, individuals are protected by a variety of federal and state laws and regulations. The National Conference of State Legislatures provides useful tables that detail laws pertaining to the protection of genetic information in the United States. For example, in California, individual and group insurers are prohibited from requiring an individual to provide genetic information, from using genetic information to decide eligibility or risk status, and from disclosing such information without consent.

In addition to legal protections, many insurers are clear about the value of genetic information and are developing specific guidelines about its proper use. Aetna is one example of this trend.

The 23andMe genotyping service that you purchase offers you full access to your genotyping data as well as access to new content and features as they are made available to our customers.

You can, however, close your account and delete your genetic information from our systems at any time. All such requests must be made in writing to our customer service team at help@23andme.com. Within 30 days of receipt and confirmation of such request, we will close your account and delete your genotyping data from our databases. No refunds will be issued in the event of such a request.

[Spectatrix]

Finally got a response. So much for getting back to me in 1 business day:

Hello,

Thank you for your interest in 23andMe. Our Gene Journal feature helps you combine genetic information, age, and ethnicity to get an idea of which common traits and health concerns are most likely to affect a person with your genetic profile. At the moment we are providing information for the traits and conditions listed below:

* Bitter Taste Perception
* Breast Cancer
* Crohn's Disease
* Earwax Type
* Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)
* Lactose Intolerance
* Multiple Sclerosis
* Muscle Fiber and Sports
* Obesity
* Prostate Cancer
* Restless Legs Syndrome
* Type 1 Diabetes
* Type 2 Diabetes
* Venous Thromboembolism

We plan to create additional Gene Journal articles as more research data becomes available and undergoes our review process. Though many of our current and planned Gene Journal articles deal with medical issues, it is important to remember that the feature is neither a diagnostic tool nor a substitute for a physician's advice.

Regards,
The 23andMe Team

[pebkac]

Shit. You mean I can finally know my earwax type? This gives me so much hope.

[Spectatrix]

I think the types are "wet" or "dry".

Don't really need a DNA test for that, I don't think.

[Divergent Realit...]

I think the types are "wet" or "dry".

Don't really need a DNA test for that, I don't think.

but its a neat parlor trick.