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We present an analysis of a series of articles on personalized medicine in the August issue of Genetics in Medicine (19 August). In the specific area of direct-to-consumer genetic testing services, we report news of US surveys into public awareness and understanding of such tests (21 August), and a new public consultation on a draft set of principles governing this area by the UK Human Genetics Commission (8 September).
Policy, regulation and biobanking
Biobanks have been challenged to develop revised policies to protect the interests of minors (24 August), particularly concerns abut loss of anonymity. Meanwhile, new software has been developed to reduce the possibility of the identification of individuals from genotypic data made available for research (14 September). Biobanking projects in the UK and China have received new funding (19 August), and a European-Chinese group has called for improved regulation of stem cell research and therapeutics internationally (9 September). A US report has recommended that scientific advice and policy decisions be more clearly distinguished (17 August).
Genetic disease and therapeutics
New research that could be a step towards the production of healthy embryos using eggs from women affected by mitochondrial diseases and healthy egg donors has raised ethical debate (28 August). In the UK, promising reports from trials of gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy have come at the same time as a report citing serious inequalities in access to specialist care and (31 August). There are hopes that a new map of disease-drug interactions will enhance research into alternative treatments and new drugs for different conditions (26 August).
Genomic research
We report on the accelerating pace of commercial genome sequencing for research purposes (11 September), a technique to identify rare disease-associated genetic variants (18 August), and the first application of next-generation sequencing technology to measure the rate of mutations in humans (3 September). Large-scale genome-wide association studies on Alzheimer’s disease confirmed the previous association with the APOE gene and identify novel risk variants (10 September), whilst another identified common genetic variants linked to modest alterations in the risk of lung cancer (4 September).
New reviews and commentaries
Our selection of recent articles of interest (1 September)
Other recent news and research
1940s drug might fight cancers caused by faulty gene
Gene linked to liver disease in cystic fibrosis
MicroRNAs in blood may be biomarkers of pancreatic cancer
Boy conceived using new test born
Scientists find gene that can stop mice from becoming obese
Genomic signature in blood identifies underlying viral infection
Gene pioneer Venter takes another step toward synthetic life
CYP2C19 genotype associated with response to antiplatelet drug
Genetic clues may lead to new skin cancer therapies
Saliva may help spot oral cancer early
Metabonomic profiling provides drug metabolism clues
Gene linked to inherited kidney disease
Scientists take early steps toward mapping epigenetic variability
Hepatitis C treatment gap may be solved by genetic finding
Child leukaemia 'genes' revealed
Genetic causes of schizophrenia
Gene therapy for genetic eye disease one year on
Genetic profiling of tumours could have 'immediate impact' on treating cancer
See also the Genomics & Health Weekly Update from the CDC Office of Public Health Genomics and the GenInfo Monthly Newsletter from HumGen.
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