April/May 2017 63 COURTESY OF 23ANDME “PEOPLE WANT HEALTH INFORMATION THEY PROBABLY OTHERWISE CAN’T GET FROM THEIR PHYSICIAN, INCLUDING INFORMATION ON CONDITIONS LIKE ALZHEIMER’S, PARKINSON’S AND DRUG RESPONSE. WE SEE THAT THERE’S TONS OF CONSUMER INTEREST IN THAT AREA AND IT’S JUST NOT OUT YET, AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE WORKING PRETTY HARD TO GET.” 23andMe was dispensing health-related data that could be inaccurate or had the potential to be misinterpreted by customers. At that time, the company was offering reports on over 200 diseases and conditions. “When the FDA declared that genetic info about your health characteristics was a medical diagnostic, that required a different way of presenting the information,” says Stanford Professor Emeritus Doug Brutlag, who has researched and taught courses on personal genetics for decades. Brutlag explained that there are some genetic variations in the DNA sequence that cause a disease, and others that are simply associated with a disease, but they don’t necessarily cause it. Unaware of that distinction, DNA testing clients can misinterpret the results, and some do. The FDA demanded more clarity and fewer prognoses. “It’s important that people know what is the chance they can come down with a disease, how much of the disease is genetic, and how much was based on environmental factors,” he explained. To illustrate, Brutlag, who is a diabetic, said that while he has a gene for diabetes, the reason he got it was environmental. “The environment in my case was predominantly a place called Mc- Donald’s.” For that reason, said Brutlag believes it’s important for people to have their results interpreted by a genetic counselor or — ANNE W OJ C I C K I , 2 3ANDME other medical professional. 23andMe has since relaunched its service with revamped its products and protocol, and now offers two tests based on current FDA guidelines: one to discover ancestry ($99), and the other that tests both ancestry and carrier status for certain diseases ($199). Although genetic counseling is not required, 23andMe does recommend it. The site also features disclaimers indicating the tests aren’t intended to diagnose a disease or assess your risk for developing it. 23andMe chief executive Anne Wojcicki says the company continues to work with the FDA in hopes of offering more medical information in the future. “People want health information they probably otherwise can’t get from their physician, including information on conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and drug response. We see that there’s tons of consumer interest in that area and it’s just not out yet, and that’s what we’re working pretty hard to get,” said Wojcicki at a recent Wall Street Journal live conference. TESTING T O T A I LOR NUTRITION As one of the most prominent pioneers in the emerging science of nutritional genomics (a.k.a. nutrigenomics), Vitagene uses personal DNA testing to tell you how your body responds to certain
South Bay Accent - Apr/May 2017
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