Telling Your Future

Telling Your Future

            A few weeks ago we wrote about the debate surrounding genetic testing in newborns (read "The  Great (DNA) Debate" here). Now we ask, how much of your genetic future would you like to know? Some infantile diseases require immediate action; diseases like phenylketonuria are devastating in newborns, early detection and treatment can stop the progression towards serious disease. But what about a slightly higher risk for cancer? Would you live your life differently knowing what your future may (or may not) have in store for you? Should screening be performed for untreatable diseases knowing that the only information an individual could gain would be the knowledge that they are going to die. Sure, it is the responsibility of the physician to share this information, but would you want that knowledge hanging over your head for your whole life?

           How much information we should have about ourselves (and when to have it) is a debate that is still on-going. The issue is not only personal information relevant to yourself, but who else will have access to it? Where is technology headed? Will we identify genetic markers commonly found in criminals so the CIA could track those people throughout their life? (Throw on your conspiracy shoes people because this just got real!) Could entire career tracks be predicted and "optimized placements" be made based on genetic predispositions?
         The fact remains that newborn screening is an extremely beneficial process and a great benefit to mankind. Where NGS technologies go from here remains to be seen, I for one would embrace more comprehensive testing of newborns to increase the quality of life for my future children and their children but am wary of what could be done with this information. Regardless, labs require the power to process the samples, and Aurora is happy to provide that power. How you ask? Why with the VERSA 1100 NGLP of course!

Aurora Biomed: www.aurorabiomed.com