Illustration of a DNA strand with people walking within the strand.

The truth in our genes

UW researchers have new tools for explaining who we are and improving our lives.

By Preston Schmitt, On Wisconsin

How much information about ourselves is too much? As the field of genetics advances, with the relatively new ability to cheaply sequence a person’s entire genetic makeup, it’s a question we should all be ready to confront.

Consider a screening that, with a drop of blood, records a newborn’s complete set of genes — collectively known as the genome — and calculates risk scores for thousands of potential medical and social outcomes. Indicators for autism, dyslexia, diabetes, ADHD, depression, and even low educational attainment become part of the newborn’s permanent medical record.

Though not yet practical, all of that is already possible. And one can easily imagine the benefits of such an approach: earlier diagnoses, faster interventions, better treatments. In the future, pairing information about patients’ social circumstances with their genetic code could help medical providers prescribe a drug that’s more likely to be effective. This innovative approach is called precision medicine, with its most promising applications so far in cancer treatment. Read more …