Articles

Gene Testing OnLine – Do You Really Want to Know?

In Mid-September of 2008, Google founder Sergey Brin launched a personal blog, Too. The first post in that blog was a stunner and received huge media attention! The blog post unveiled that Brin who underwent a gene test at 23andMe, a California-based gene testing company co-founded by his wife Anne Wojcicki, is carrying a mutant gene linked to Parkinson’s disease. According to the results of 23andMe’s gene test, Brin’s genetic profile includes mutation of a gene, called LRRK2. And previous research has shown that this particular mutation of LRRK2, known as G2019S, may increase a person’s risk for a type of Parkinson’s disease that runs in families. Brin’s mother suffers Parkinson’s disease and 23andMe’s gene test showed that she also has the G2019S mutation in her genetic make-up.

“When my wife asked me to look up G2019S in my raw data (23andMe scientists had had the forethought to include it on their chip), I viewed it mostly as entertainment,” writes Brin in his blog. “But, of course, I learned something very important to me, I carry the G2019S mutation and when my mother checked her account, she saw she carries it too.”

Brin points out in the blog that he has “a markedly higher chance of developing Parkinson’s in my lifetime than the average person.” “In fact, it is somewhere between 20% to 80% depending on the study and how you measure,” he writes.

Like Brin, people are now interested in checking their disease risk through gene or DNA tests. And thus, genetic testing is emerging as a new trend in personal healthcare, where people prefer to order the test online, know about their propensity for various diseases, and prepare for disease prevention.

Regarding his test, Brin writes, in his blog: “This leaves me in a rather unique position. I know early in my life something I am substantially predisposed to. I now have the opportunity to adjust my life to reduce those odds (e.g. there is evidence that exercise may be protective against Parkinson’s). I also have the opportunity to perform and support research into this disease long before it may affect me. And, regardless of my own health it can help my family members as well as others.”

For a gene test, an individual has to register and make the payment online. Then a test kit is sent for collection of the sample (that is the saliva of the customer). The kit includes a test tube, where the customer has to spit, and then mail the tube to the company. The results are obtained in about a month through a web account. The information unveils a genetic make-up of the customer, propensities for certain diseases, and some other genetic features including how one would probably respond to a group of drugs.

However, the results unveiled by a gene test are only considered informational and not diagnostic. There are several companies where the tests can be carried out including (amid others) California-based 23andMe and Navigenics and Iceland-based DeCode Genetics. In 2008 the California public health department granted 23andMe and Navigenics a license to offer gene services to their customers, with the condition that physicians have to be involved in ordering the genetic tests.

According to a web document by Navigenics, the company scans its customers’ DNA for “genetic risk markers associated with both common and uncommon health conditions.” “We use rigorous standards for deciding which conditions to include in your report,” the document adds.

The test done by Navigenics unveils risks for several conditions, such as obesity, psoriasis, prostate cancer, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, colon cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, celiac disease, lupus, heart attack, atrial fibrillation, Grave’s disease, type-2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, to name a few. However, the test doesn’t cover certain conditions, Navigenics points out, and these include brain cancer, schizophrenia, height and eye color, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and HIV susceptibility or resistance.

The cost for online gene testing varies and usually ranges from $1000 to $2500. However, on September 9, 2008, 23andMe came up with a substantial price cut for its gene testing service. According to the company, the price was reduced to democratize personal genetics and expand people’s opportunity to benefit from the genetic revolution. “Effective immediately, 23andMe is offering its service for $399,” declared a press release by the company. “23andMe is able to offer the reduced price thanks to technological advancements made by the company that provides its DNA scanning technology, Illumina, Inc,” the release says.

23andMe’s co-founder Wojcicki comments, in the release, “By taking advantage of continuing innovation we are able to introduce a new chip that will give people more relevant data at a lower price.” “We are excited that we are opening doors for more people to learn about their health and ancestry and for more people to be able to participate in advancing research. It is important to democratize personal genetics and make it more accessible.”

Despite this enthusiasm for genetic testing in America, there are issues that have evoked strong negative vibes against the trend. Critics say, a DNA test speaks only of the preponderance of an individual for a disease or more than one disease-it can’t say anything conclusive. For example, a large number of people with G2019S mutation (the mutation that Brin has) never contracts Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, according to critics, stamping an individual predisposed to certain conditions on the basis of genetic testing may cause substantial psychological trauma to him or her. That apart, there is also possibility that insurance companies or employers would discriminate against a person on the basis of a gene test, which is why in May 2008, President Bush signed legislation into law that would bar insurance companies and employers from discriminating against anyone on the basis of genetic information.

However, Brin considers himself “fortunate” for the genetic test he underwent. “Until the fountain of youth is discovered, all of us will have some conditions in our old age, only we don’t know what they will be,” he writes in his blog. “I have a better guess than almost anyone else for what ills may be mine and I have decided to prepare for it.”

Incoming search terms:

• what tests are used for certain conditions

Gaining Weight and Genetics – How Knowing Your Genetics Can Help You with Weight Management

Human obesity is a very common disease influenced by the interaction of multiple factors such as environment, genetics and dietary factors. Every obese person aims to reduce weight by using various approaches such as managing dietary habits, physical exercises and diet pills. However, knowledge about the link between genetics and obesity eases the process of weight management. Here is a discussion on various genes that play role in causing obesity.

Genetic approach for understanding obesity

Genetic information coded by DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) determines the physiological functions within living organisms. A small piece of DNA coding for a particular protein is termed as gene. A change of single nucleotide within the gene sequence increases the susceptibility or resistance to a particular disease. However, obesity is not caused by variations in one single gene but rather by a polygenic effect due to interaction of multiple genes. Altered genes responsible for increasing the susceptibility to disease (obesity in this case) are termed as susceptibility genes. These genes work in association with environmental factors such as diet, smoking and physical activity. Children of obese parents with susceptibility genes are at very high risk of developing obesity. This is due to inheritance of susceptibility genes by children from the parents.

Susceptibility genes responsible for obesity

Obesity is either directly or indirectly linked to about 425 genes. These genes exert effects on energy metabolism control, the extent of food intake, metabolic and signalling pathways and synthesis of fats. These effects in turn regulate the extent of fat deposition and hence, body weight.

Genes regulating the energy metabolism: ADRβ2, ADRβ3, PPARs, FABP etc.

Genes regulating the extent of food intake: NPY, CCK, POMC, MCH, etc.

Genes regulating the metabolic and signalling pathways: PPAR, FABP, PKA, c/EBP, etc.

Of all the above genes, variations in the genes encoding for β-adrenergic receptors and LEPR are mainly responsible for obesity.

How to use genetic information for weight management

Efficient weight management is possible by knowing the genetic composition of the DNA. For example, some of the common means for losing weight are consuming low carbohydrate diet, low fat diet and increased physical activity. You might be confused which one to choose.

Just undergo a Genetic Testing. If the results indicate modification of genes regulating the synthesis of beta-adrenergic receptors, then you must make efforts to burn more energy. Wondering why? Here is a simple explanation.

Beta adrenergic receptors are present on cell membranes of many cells. Upon binding of appropriate substrate, they mobilize the stored energy. This energy expenditure is achieved in the form of fat degradation and heat generation in brown adipose tissues. Hence, any modification of the genes coding for these receptors hinders the process of energy mobilization. This increases the risk of weight gain. Thus, individuals with defective ADRβ2, ADRβ3 genes should follow a routine physical activity to avoid weight gain.

Prenatal Testing: Divining the Future

Choice is a fundamentally human quality. Not just epic or major decisions either. Beyond free will and religious notions of choice, there is a quality contained within the simple, everyday decision process that defines our lives as human beings; which sandwich to order, the best route to take home, what station to listen to. These little determinations result in the greater patchwork of our daily lives and histories.

But decisions are more than the sum of our choices. Children from a very young age begin to realize notions of consequence for their actions and decisions. The bible too notes that free will alone separates us from a divine plan, but that our freedom to do good or evil will result in punishment or reward. The same free choices that give us liberty can harbor immense results in this life and, according to some, the one thereafter.

These days we have more decision making power than ever before. Our notions of consequence are infinitely more informed than those of our ancestors. Most recently the incredible advances in genetic testing have extended this power. Genetic and prenatal tests can now determine likelihood that a child will be born with a birth defect, chromosome abnormalities, genetic diseases and other conditions, such as spina bifida, cleft palate, Tay Sachs disease, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, cystic fibrosis, and fragile x syndrome.

Pregnant parents who undergo prenatal testing are then at a major decision making crossroads, if doctors or genetic testers inform them that a child is predisposed to such conditions. Should they view this as a challenge or burden, a responsibility they have acquired for better or worse, or should they abort the fetus entirely?

Obviously this quandary gives rise to the ethical debates similar of Roe vs. Wade and pro-choice vs. pro-life, but let’s evade those issues entirely and for the moment focus elsewhere.

The ethical dilemma concerning prenatal testing sidesteps the pro-life, pro-choice question and begets one equally complex and challenging. Fundamentally, the abortion debate questions one’s right to choose whether or not to have a child, but prenatal testing grants would be parents another choice: What kind of child to have.

When a woman opts to abort a fetus, we generally perceive that choice as being a symptom of the fact that she does not desire a child at the time. But parents who opt to abort because they have been told their child might be born with a defect are making judgments beyond their immediate offspring. Such parents might be said to have judged that certain human lives more valuable than others and that the sick or handicapped are less deserving of life.

These considerations ring eerily reminiscent of the eugenicists who believed that human hereditary traits could be altered by controlling (sometimes forcibly) reproduction within the population. Terrifyingly, eugenics was first successfully practiced within the United States on 30,000 prisoners who were deemed unfit to reproduce. Hitler and the Nazi party, influenced by eugenics, overtly shared the belief that certain human lives are more valuable than others. In 1934 the party enacted the “sterilization law” under which between 300,000 and 400,000 people deemed “feebleminded” were sterilized through vasectomy or litigation of ovarian tubes in women. The victims of this heinous policy were not blanket racial or ethnic groups, but the infirm, handicapped and mentally disabled. While advocates of prenatal testing are only gauging their immediate offspring’s right to life, the practice is philosophically evocative of eugenicists nonetheless.

Consider also the testing methods and scientific accuracy of prenatal testing in general. The prenatally administered Quad test is hardly 100% accurate; in fact it has a 5% false positive rate. Many mothers informed that their fetus is at high risk for Down syndrome or other genetic illnesses suffer undue stress and anxiety from false results. Stress is thought to be a high contributing factor in miscarriages and should certainly be avoided during pregnancy.

Steven Spielberg’s 2002 sci-fi film “Minority Report” deals with questions of premonition that are food for thought when considering prenatal testing’s accuracy. In the film a pair of “precogs” are responsible for predicting “precrime”, criminal acts that have yet to take place. A specialized police force then arrests individuals based upon their, unrealized, prophecy.  The films central themes of freewill vs. determinism are philosophical fodder in assessing prenatal testing. Does a doctor’s scientific premonition is some way alter the course of events? We already know that prenatal testing isn’t entirely accurate, so is being aware of a possible fetal defect a terrible form of determinism?

Ultimately, no one right of mind would ever claim that being concerned for the welfare of an unborn child is somehow wrong. But claiming that certain lives are preferable to others is frightening nevertheless. Still, we should perhaps celebrate the evolution of decisions beyond: that each of us will have to be judged on his or her own merits accordingly.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care an appropriate health care provider.

Incoming search terms:

• prenatal genetics center wrong results

Genetic Counseling India- Cost Genetic Counseling- Genetic Counseling

Genetic Counseling India

If you and your partner are newly pregnant, you may be amazed at the number and variety of prenatal tests available to you. Blood tests, urine tests, monthly medical exams, diet questionnaires, and family history tracking — each helps to assess the health of you and your baby, and to predict any potential health risks. 

Unlike your parents, you may also have the option of genetic testing. These tests identify the likelihood of passing certain genetic diseases or disorders (those caused by a defect in the genes — the tiny, DNA-containing units of heredity that determine the characteristics and functioning of the entire body) to your children.

Some of the more familiar genetic disorders are : -

Down syndrome Cystic fibrosis Sickle cell disease Tay-Sachs disease (a fatal disease affecting the central nervous system)
spina bifida…

What Is Genetic Counseling ?

Genetic counseling is the process of : -

Evaluating family history and medical records Ordering genetic tests Evaluating the results of this investigation Helping parents understand and reach decisions about what to do next

Genetic tests are done by analyzing small samples of blood or body tissues. They determine whether you, your partner, or your baby carry genes for certain inherited disorders….

What are Genes ?

Humans have 46 chromosomes, arranged in pairs in every living cell of our bodies. When the egg and sperm join at conception, half of each chromosomal pair is inherited from each parent. This newly formed combination of chromosomes then copies itself again and again during fetal growth and development, passing identical genetic information to each new cell in the growing fetus.

Current science suggests that human chromosomes carry from 25,000 to 35,000 genes. An error in just one gene (and in some instances, even the alteration of a single piece of DNA) can sometimes be the cause for a serious medical condition….

About Genetic Counselors

Genetic counselors are professionals who have completed a master’s program in medical genetics and counseling skills. They then pass a certification exam administered by the American Board of Genetic Counseling….

Please log on to : www.indiahospitaltour.com

Send your query : Get a Quote

We Care Core Values

We have a very simple business model that keeps you as the centre.

Having the industry’s most elaborate and exclusive Patient Care and Clinical Coordination teams stationed at each partner hospital, we provide you the smoothest and seamless care ever imagined. With a ratio of one Patient Care Manager to five patients our patient care standards are unmatched across the sub continent.

Genetic Counseling Abroad At Affordable Cost – Genetic Counseling Cost

Genetic Counseling India

Genetic Counseling

If you and your partner are newly pregnant, you may be amazed at the number and variety of prenatal tests available to you. Blood tests, urine tests, monthly medical exams, diet questionnaires, and family history tracking — each helps to assess the health of you and your baby, and to predict any potential health risks.

Unlike your parents, you may also have the option of genetic testing. These tests identify the likelihood of passing certain genetic diseases or disorders (those caused by a defect in the genes — the tiny, DNA-containing units of heredity that determine the characteristics and functioning of the entire body) to your children.

Some of the more familiar genetic disorders are : -

Down syndrome Cystic fibrosis Sickle cell disease Tay-Sachs disease (a fatal disease affecting the central nervous system)
spina bifida…

What Is Genetic Counseling ?

Genetic counseling is the process of : -

Evaluating family history and medical records Ordering genetic tests Evaluating the results of this investigation Helping parents understand and reach decisions about what to do next

Genetic tests are done by analyzing small samples of blood or body tissues. They determine whether you, your partner, or your baby carry genes for certain inherited disorders….

What are Genes ?

Humans have 46 chromosomes, arranged in pairs in every living cell of our bodies. When the egg and sperm join at conception, half of each chromosomal pair is inherited from each parent. This newly formed combination of chromosomes then copies itself again and again during fetal growth and development, passing identical genetic information to each new cell in the growing fetus.

Current science suggests that human chromosomes carry from 25,000 to 35,000 genes. An error in just one gene (and in some instances, even the alteration of a single piece of DNA) can sometimes be the cause for a serious medical condition….

About Genetic Counselors

Genetic counselors are professionals who have completed a master’s program in medical genetics and counseling skills. They then pass a certification exam administered by the American Board of Genetic Counseling….

Please log on to : www.indiahospitaltour.com

Send your query : Get a Quote

We Care Core Values

We have a very simple business model that keeps you as the centre.

Having the industry’s most elaborate and exclusive Patient Care and Clinical Coordination teams stationed at each partner hospital, we provide you the smoothest and seamless care ever imagined. With a ratio of one Patient Care Manager to five patients our patient care standards are unmatched across the sub continent.

Painless Genetic Screening of Parents for Inheritable Disease now Available

The American College of Medical Genetics and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology have recently recommended that all couples of reproductive age who are attempting to conceive be offered pre-conceptual genetic testing.  The purpose of this testing is to identify those couples who are carriers of a variety of conditions that could affect their children.  Testing potential parents for genetic diseases is not a novel concept, but recent advances in technology have made testing simple, painless, and affordable. 

“Carriers” of genetic diseases do not actually have the disorder themselves; rather one of their genes has a mutation, genetic change, associated with the disorder.  The concern is that carriers can unknowingly pass this abnormal gene on to their children.  The most common genetic disorders, such as Sickle Cell Anemia, Tay Sachs Disease, and Cystic Fibrosis are called “autosomal recessive” diseases.  In order to actually have an autosomal recessive disease, a person needs to have inherited two abnormal genes, one from each parent.

 In order to understand this concept, let’s look at Sickle Cell Anemia, a life threatening disease caused by abnormal hemoglobin.  Each parent has 2 genes for hemoglobin – the important oxygen-carrying molecule in a red blood cell.  All cells in the body – with the exception of sperm and eggs – carry 2 genes.  Sperm and eggs carry only 1 of those 2 genes, and the one that they carry is determined at random.  When fertilization occurs, the embryo gets one copy of the gene from each parent, i.e. one from the sperm and one from the egg.  If each parent has two copies of the normal hemoglobin A gene, all of their sperm or eggs will be normal and their children will neither have Sickle Cell Disease nor will they be carriers.  If one parent has one hemoglobin A gene and one hemoglobin S gene (the gene that causes Sickle Cell Anemia), each sperm or egg has a 50% chance of carrying the A gene and a 50% chance of carrying the S gene.  Embryos that carry one S gene develop into children who are carriers.  Therefore, in theory, 50% of children born to a carrier will be carriers for Sickle Cell disease.

If both parents are carriers, each embryo has a 25% chance of inheriting 2 A genes (i.e. those children will be normal), a 25% chance of inheriting 2 S genes (i.e. those children will have the disease), and a 50% chance of inheriting 1 A gene and 1 S gene (i.e. those children will be carriers).

Pre-conceptual testing is the only way to know if your children have an increased risk of inheriting a genetic disorder.  Until recently, this could only be accomplished through the performance of individualized genetic tests, a very expensive and complicated process akin to looking for a needle in a haystack.  Due to tremendous advances in genetic science, two new types of genetic testing are now available.  One involves the collection of saliva from each partner.  Each sample can be screened for over 109 different autosomal recessive genetic disorders for a reasonable fee.  If only one partner is found to carry the gene for an autosomal recessive disorder, there is no chance that the couple’s children can actually have the disease in question; the worst outcome possible would be that a child could be an asymptomatic carrier of the abnormal gene – just like the affected parent.  The primary advantages of this particular test are that it is performed on saliva rather than blood, it screens for a large number of diseases very efficiently, and it is relatively inexpensive.

The other type of test actually looks at pieces of genes, rather than whole genes or chromosomes.  Through the testing of tissue obtained from either a cheek swab or blood from each partner, 200,000-300,000 small DNA fragments representing pieces of each known gene can be evaluated.  When an embryo is produced from in vitro fertilization, the DNA from each embryo can be evaluated and matched to the samples from the parents.  Not only can this testing determine whether each embryo has the normal number of chromosomes, but in addition the source of any identified genetic abnormality can be accurately identified.  In other words, in the event that an embryo turns out to be chromosomally abnormal, this testing can determine whether the abnormality came from the egg or from the sperm.  This is very helpful in cases of recurrent miscarriage or in cases of repetitive in vitro fertilization failure when couples are struggling to determine whether they should continue to proceed with treatment using their own gametes or whether they should consider using either donor sperm or donor oocytes. 

These two exciting new technologies represent a major advance in the field of genetics and offer our patients even greater hope for achieving their dream of a healthy family.

 For more information visit http://www.txfertilty.com

Incoming search terms:

• jewish free genetic testing Dallas