When Politics Meets Genomics In the US

DNA collection from migrants who cross the US-Mexico border might be put in place soon, and the information will feed a large criminal database operated by the FBI, announced headlines early October. We’ve come a long way since the first direct-to-consumer (DTC) company, 23andme, started to offer ancestry DNA testing kits online. It seems as it was decades ago – while in fact, we’re speaking about 10-12 years. How has DTC genetic testing culminated in population genomics – and what can we expect in the future to come? In the second part of our article series about genomics and politics, we’ll try to see where ‘DNA and population management’ the United States is heading. From DTC genetic testing to population management: the beginnings When Anne Wojcicki co-founded 23andme in 2006 – we cannot emphasize this often enough: a little more than a decade ago –, her goal was twofold. She wanted to bring the power of genetic testing to everyday consumers so they can better manage their own health, and use the aggregated data from the tests to help doctors, scientists, hospitals, and researchers to discover new cures for diseases that emanate from troublesome genetic mutations. Their service was radical and brand-new: with a mouse click, you could order up your past and potential future. At first, regulators were baffled by the novelty and couldn’t do anything about it for years. However, in 2014 the FDA restricted 23andme’s operations saying that the he...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Genomics American biotechnology dna testing ethics future genes genetics policy-making politics regulation science US USA Source Type: blogs