Direct-to-consumer testing

NOVA “Secrets in Our DNA” screening and panel discussion
Following a screening of the NOVA documentary, “Secrets in our DNA,” the Computer History Museum hosted a panel with science and business experts about personal genetic testing. Click the link below to hear contributions by G2P director Dr. Green.

Secrets in our DNA
In this NOVA documentary, G2P director Dr. Green explains what DNA can reveal about our ancestry and health, and at what risk.

AMA COVID-19 daily video update: The search for answers to the genetic impact on case severity
In the first of a two-part series, AMA Chief Experience Officer Todd Unger discusses genetics at play in COVID-19 with experts Wendy Chung, MD, PhD, Robert Green, MD, MPH, and AMA’s Chief Health and Science Officer Mira Irons, MD.
Genetic counseling following direct-to-consumer genetic testing: Consumer perspectives

Consumer DNA testing is a bust: Here’s how companies like Ancestry and 23andMe can survive
“Our research is finding that genetics is about to take its rightful place in medical care for the world.” said Dr. Robert Green, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School.

FDA stepping up actions against PGx testing, forcing some labs to stop reporting drug information
Researchers led by Robert Green at Brigham and Women’s Hospital looked at whether consumers getting direct-to-consumer genetic testing were using PGx tests to change treatment decisions. Although this study relied on self-reported data from participants, it suggests that less than 1 percent could have made unsupervised medication changes based on their genetic test results.

Should you get a home genetic test?
More and more people want to explore their own medical data, and a DTC genetic test is one way to begin to understand some aspects of your future health.

Is ignorance really bliss when it comes to knowing your risk of Alzheimer’s? Medical experts are split
Dr. Robert Green and Kreg Klugman explore the pros and cons of knowing one’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s.

MyHeritage launches health-related genetic test, ignites debate
Its screen for selected variants of some disease-linked genes gives customers an incomplete picture of their risk—do they know?

Don’t count on 23andMe to detect most breast cancer risks, study warns
Nearly 90 percent of participants who carried a BRCA mutation would have been missed by 23andMe’s test, geneticists found. Dr Robert Green comments, “I think people have the right to their own genetic information, but with that right comes a responsibility. If you are going to go around the medical mainstream, read the caveats.”

G2P Newsletter March 2019
Spring saw accomplishments by team members through numerous projects. G2P officially kicked-off the PeopleSeq consortium in Boston this January! Our very own, Carrie Blout, MS, CGC, was one of 86 Partner’s individuals awarded the Partners In Excellence Award.

23andMe health report concerns linger amid incremental acceptance of DTC testing model
Highlighting the changes that are happening within direct to consumer testing, experts predict that consumer genomics will become “the new normal,” with the companies in this space and healthcare providers working together to find the best path forward.

Dr. Robert Green on the impact of individual genomic data
Harry Glorikian guest this week, Dr. Robert Green, is a professor of medicine and genetics at Harvard Medical School and director of the Genomes To People research program at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. They dig into the individual genome, how genomic data is being used, and the impact … Continued

G2P Newsletter December 2018
This Fall, G2P has had exciting updates with a new PeopleSeq grant. Our team has traveled from San Diego, Atlanta, and Fort Detrick to Basel, Zurich, and Barcelona, to several conferences, presenting new data from our translational genomics research projects.

Who do you think you are?
At-home genetic testing can help you understand your biology. But before delving into your DNA, consider the caveats.

Now you can sequence your whole genome for just $200
With genomic testing running at a low cost, why aren’t more people running toward the shelves to grab direct-to-consumer testing? Read this Wired post featuring Dr. Robert Green to learn more!

Decoding FDA DTC policy
Scott D. Crawford, Shawn Fayer, and Robert C. Green directly address and highlight some of the recent FDA movement in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing space with a five-post blog compilation.

Was I part British, part Dutch, a little bit Jewish? The oddness of DNA tests.
The Washington Post brings in genetics expert Dr. Robert Green to clarify some of the misconceptions present in results of ancestry genetic testing.

The future of dieting is here—and it has nothing to do with calorie counting
Having genetic information to determine metabolic predispositions can be a powerful tool tool for staying on a nutrition program, says Robert C. Green. “In some cases, people really are motivated by hearing about something from their own DNA. We all know we have to eat better.”

Reset your DNA to slow the clock
Dr. Robert Green addresses a new epigenetic test that tracks molecular aging claims to show you how to stay biologically young.

Why DNA test results are actually pretty fuzzy
Dr. Robert Green explains why DNA testing kits can’t reveal anyone’s complete ancestral history.

BabySeq, MedSeq projects reveal how many people carry genetic risk variants for rare diseases
More information on newborn and adult sequencing studies unveiled at the 2018 American Society for Human Genetics Meeting in San Diego, CA. Two projects in which healthy individuals have had their genomes sequenced have revealed that searching for unanticipated genetic results in newborns and adults can unearth far more variants associated with diseases than previously thought, … Continued

Plenary presentation at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology Precision Health Meeting
Dr. Robert C. Green speaks at the 2018 Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) Precision Health Conference in San Diego, California about our efforts to gather empirical data on genome sequencing healthy individuals. Watch to learn more about G2P’s MilSeq, BabySeq, MedSeq, PeopleSeq, PGen and REVEAL projects. Click here for more on the conference.

Can science change the stories we grew up with? Exploring identity with Pete Wentz and Dr. Robert Green
Growing up in a small town in Illinois, musician Pete Wentz didn’t look or feel like others in his community, and never really felt that he fit in. So, he set out to create an identity of his own. On the latest episode of Spit, host Baratunde Thurston sits with Pete and medical geneticist and … Continued

Ars on your lunch break: the consequences of a government genetic database
The third and final interview conducted with Dr. Robert Green about specific circumstances that could arise from genetic sequencing starting from infancy.

23andMe’s test for a breast-cancer gene can reveal life-changing information, but can also lead down an expensive and complicated path
Laura Diamond’s 23andMe results noted she had a genetic mutation, BRCA 1, which could increase her risk for breast cancer. When she was screened a few years later, an MRI showed that she had developed stage 1 breast cancer. Direct-to-consumer testing paid off in her case, as she was aware of her condition and was … Continued

Results of at home genetic tests for health can be hard to interpret
Rita Steyn, who has a family history of cancer, decided to order a home genetic testing kit to look for certain genetic mutations that might increase her risk for the disease. While this is something many people are doing, consulting a physician is still recommended in order to understand the real risks, and what the … Continued

Privacy and consumer genetic testing don’t always mix
For a few hundred dollars and a spit sample, you too could take a journey of genetic self-discovery. You may learn some things, but what are you giving away? Before you spit, it helps to know what you’re getting into.

A DNA site helped authorities crack the golden state killer case. Here’s what you should know about your genetic data privacy.
Police were able to identify and arrest the Golden State Killer using GEDmatch, an open source genetic database. where individuals can upload and share their information for free, making it accessible for law enforcement in cases like these.

G2P Newsletter April 2018
Spring saw accomplishments by team members and new advances in direct-to-consumer testing. Dr. Kurt Christensen provides compelling detail about econogenomics cost and benefits to genetic sequencing, and Megan Maxwell discusses genetic counseling and the MilSeq project on a podcast.

Genome sequencing for healthy people: Will it be harmful?
The second piece of a 2-part blog series authored by Dr. Robert C. Green. An early study found no problems related to unnecessary or harmful medical follow-ups after healthy people received their genome sequencing results. To read the first piece, visit: https://medium.com/@genomes2people/genome-sequencing-for-healthy-people-will-it-be-helpful-b984b94e3d3f

When it comes to home cancer tests, think before you spit
Consumers should consult their physicians or at least think through the consequences of learning medical information from at-home genetic tests, says Dr. Robert C. Green.

23andMe gets FDA approval to report breast cancer risk without a doctor
Physicians are becoming more concerned about direct-to-consumer testing providing confidential information to patients about their health.

You don’t need a personal genetics test to take charge of your health
“What you see in the consumer genetics market is that legitimate genetic findings, often from studies with very large sample sizes, are being turned around and marketed to people in a way that implies it’s going to be actionable for individuals,” says Harvard geneticist Robert Green.

Genome sequencing for healthy people: Will it be helpful?
The first piece of a 2-part blog series authored by Dr. Robert C. Green. Early results suggest that yes, whole genome sequencing may very well be substantially helpful to a significant number of healthy patients. To read the second piece, visit: https://medium.com/@genomes2people/genome-sequencing-for-healthy-people-will-it-be-harmful-d915cc08e634

Fitness secrets in your DNA
Some genetic variations can be associated with physical responses to diet and exercise, says Dr. Robert C. Green, but it remains to be seen how large those effects are and what it really means for one’s health.

Will your baby like cilantro? These genetic tests say they can tell you
BabyGlimpse uses DNA from each parent to predict how their future child might look. It is one of the newest versions of direct-to-consumer testing, where patients get direct access to either their or their children’s genetic code. Dr. Robert Green shares his thoughts on the matter.