The Confidence Code by Katty Kay, Claire Shipman Page A
Authors: Katty Kay, Claire Shipman
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had anticipated when we started researching this subject—whether we should seek out a genetic mapping for ourselves. We hadn’t expected to uncover much research to suggest that confidence could be inherited, or biologically based, but now we were hooked on the idea that we might be naturally, genetically, inclined to jump off a cliff or to stand up in a really intimidating meeting. Would it help us to know? Or would it inhibit us further? Ultimately, curiosity won out and we decided to do the tests, especially when we found out that it’s as simple as sending off saliva samples to one of two genetic start-up companies, one called 23andMe, the other, Genomind.
23andMe (named for the number of chromosome pairs in each human cell) is the Google-backed personal genetics company that suddenly started generating headlines over a showdown with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just as we were finishing the book. In late 2013 the agency warned 23andMe that it could not market its genetic tests without regulatory approval, and the company has stopped selling them for now, as it attempts to negotiate a blessing from the FDA. The ongoing debate promises to help define the new era of personal genetics and personalized medicine, and most especially who controls access to DNA sequencing and information.
23andMe had been offering something unique—broad genetic testing, directly accessible to the public, without going through doctors. It had become fairly affordable—they were selling their personal genetics test for just ninety-nine dollars. The company has declared its long-term goal is to become a leading genetic database for scientific research. Its testing wasn’t comprehensive—a million out of our three billion genes. But 23andMe scientists were focusing on genes where they believe research has identified health concerns—genes that affect Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and breast cancer, for example, and quite a few others. They were also offering a lot of specific information about ancestry. The results included substantial detail about what your genetic profile says about a broad array of other potential health risks. And that, essentially, is what troubles the FDA, which contends that there is conclusive science for only a very few genes right now, and that consumers might, therefore, put too much or too little weight on their results and make questionable health decisions, without the help of their physicians.
Genomind’s testing is more narrowly focused, but it’s revolutionary in the field of brain wellness and neuropsychiatry. The founders want to put cutting-edge genetic science in the hands of doctors and psychiatrists for concrete treatment. (The company has avoided issues with the FDA by offering testing only through physicians and hospitals.) Genomind scientists have created a very specific panel of genetic tests, backed up by analysis of results, which healthcare providers around the country are already using. Instead of a doctor listening to a patient describe symptoms, and then using a trial-and-error approach to medication, the genetic results often suggest which medications might be most effective. You may be a candidate for antianxiety medication, for example, but if you have a certain genetic profile, some drugs won’t work well for you. Your doctor can choose, based on the science, to start with something else.
Both 23andMe and Genomind offered some, but not all, of the testing we were looking for, and 23andMe was still in full operation then, so we doubled down. We understood, by that point in our research, that genetics aren’t determinative. But still it felt like an important decision.
The test taking was almost too easy (we each spat in a test tube), but anticipating the results was agonizing—a bit like waiting for your SAT scores to come through. As reporters, we always figure that any information is good information. Knowing our raw material had to be an asset. That’s the very
23andMe (named for the number of chromosome pairs in each human cell) is the Google-backed personal genetics company that suddenly started generating headlines over a showdown with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just as we were finishing the book. In late 2013 the agency warned 23andMe that it could not market its genetic tests without regulatory approval, and the company has stopped selling them for now, as it attempts to negotiate a blessing from the FDA. The ongoing debate promises to help define the new era of personal genetics and personalized medicine, and most especially who controls access to DNA sequencing and information.
23andMe had been offering something unique—broad genetic testing, directly accessible to the public, without going through doctors. It had become fairly affordable—they were selling their personal genetics test for just ninety-nine dollars. The company has declared its long-term goal is to become a leading genetic database for scientific research. Its testing wasn’t comprehensive—a million out of our three billion genes. But 23andMe scientists were focusing on genes where they believe research has identified health concerns—genes that affect Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and breast cancer, for example, and quite a few others. They were also offering a lot of specific information about ancestry. The results included substantial detail about what your genetic profile says about a broad array of other potential health risks. And that, essentially, is what troubles the FDA, which contends that there is conclusive science for only a very few genes right now, and that consumers might, therefore, put too much or too little weight on their results and make questionable health decisions, without the help of their physicians.
Genomind’s testing is more narrowly focused, but it’s revolutionary in the field of brain wellness and neuropsychiatry. The founders want to put cutting-edge genetic science in the hands of doctors and psychiatrists for concrete treatment. (The company has avoided issues with the FDA by offering testing only through physicians and hospitals.) Genomind scientists have created a very specific panel of genetic tests, backed up by analysis of results, which healthcare providers around the country are already using. Instead of a doctor listening to a patient describe symptoms, and then using a trial-and-error approach to medication, the genetic results often suggest which medications might be most effective. You may be a candidate for antianxiety medication, for example, but if you have a certain genetic profile, some drugs won’t work well for you. Your doctor can choose, based on the science, to start with something else.
Both 23andMe and Genomind offered some, but not all, of the testing we were looking for, and 23andMe was still in full operation then, so we doubled down. We understood, by that point in our research, that genetics aren’t determinative. But still it felt like an important decision.
The test taking was almost too easy (we each spat in a test tube), but anticipating the results was agonizing—a bit like waiting for your SAT scores to come through. As reporters, we always figure that any information is good information. Knowing our raw material had to be an asset. That’s the very
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