Dna Science

What is genetic testing? How has it, or better yet, how will it affect life as we know it? These are all relevant questions when you are exploring the ever-advancing field of genetic testing.

Genetic testing cannot be broken down into one simple definition. It is described differently by many organizations ranging from a DNA based only test to the testing of DNA products such as proteins, chromosomes, and problems with somatic cells such as cancer.

Put simply genetic testing is a way in which we can diagnose genetic diseases. Genetic testing identifies changes in the makeup of our chromosomes, genes, or proteins. Most testing of this kind is used to determine whether or not a certain person has a chance of developing a suspected genetic condition, or passing it on. Several hundred different types of genetic tests are currently in use today.

The process of genetic testing is usually painless. It is usually performed using a sample of hair, skin, blood, amniotic fluid, or other tissues. When looking for a gene that may increase the risk for cancer we look at the gene involved in cancer, called cancer susceptibility genes. This kind of genetic testing does not tell you that you have a 100% chance of developing cancer. It tells you whether or not you are at an increased risk of developing cancer, or if you have had cancer before whether or not you have a chance of it coming back. The term for this kind of gene alteration is called penetrance. If a mother has a mutated gene of this kind and develops cancer it is entirely possible that she could pass it onto her daughter who could also develop cancer at an early age.

There are different ways that the actual testing can be performed. The most common way is to take a sample of blood (usually done at an early age), and to extract DNA. A scientist will then compare your DNA to that of a sample that is known to be normal; this process is called DNA sequencing. This process is incredibly expensive and could take weeks, or even months to complete.

The goal of many clinics and organizations is to make genetic testing cheap and available to everyone. However, this does not come without precaution. A couple now has the ability to perform genetic testing on their unborn child to see whether or not they are at a risk for a certain disease. This brings about many ethical questions. Some couples just want to be better prepared for the lifestyle they are about to be leading, and others will choose to terminate the pregnancy. There is also the pressure of insurance companies. At one time they had no way of telling who was at high risk or at a low risk of developing a disease, so they were all thrown into one gene pool. In the last 10 years this practice has become extinct. Insurance companies can no longer afford to put everyone into a common low cost risk pool. Many people are now facing a situation where they cannot get health insurance. So the question is, who should have access to these tests? Well that question cannot be answered simply, but a majority of citizens and scientists believe that 1) a person should have a choice whether or not they are to be