Clinical Genetic Testing in Kidney Disease and Transplantation: Logistical, Ethical, Legal, and Social Considerations

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe role of genetics in renal disorders is being increasingly recognized, prompting the need to describe and address barriers to meaningful implementation of genetic testing in clinical care.Recent FindingsThe rapid expansion in accessibility and decreased cost of sequencing technologies has prompted increased identification of monogenic contributors to kidney disease and demonstration of the high yield of genetic testing in renal cohorts. Genetic testing in kidney disease and transplantation offers meaningful applications, including those relating to diagnosis, prognosis, management, and implications for family members and potential living donors. However, clinical implementation raises notable logistical, ethical, legal, and social considerations.SummaryChief among barriers and concerns are difficulties in variant interpretation, lack of adequate clinician training and genetic counseling availability, disparities in composition of reference databases, considerations in obtaining informed consent and returning genetic results, and concerns relating to privacy and legal protections. These considerations are not discrete and the complex issues among them overlap considerably, requiring multifaceted and adaptive interventions.
Source: Current Transplantation Reports - Category: Transplant Surgery Source Type: research