Presidential panel, ACMG, and experts struggle with what patients should learn, and how. Sarah Hilgenberg, M.D., was a self-described “hard-working, high achieving, strong willed, Type A 20-so... [More]

Would you want to know your future if science could tell it to you? Some forms of commercial genetic testing promise something like this kind of future-telling. But you need to think long and hard about peeking into your own genes to see what they hold in store for your health. It may not be so e... [More]

Should worried parents be able to test their babies for diseases they may develop down the road, just because they’re curious? Should worried teens be able to screen themselves, without parental knowledge, for disorders that may manifest decades in their future? And what about delving into... [More]

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has approved mandatory confirmation of sickle cell trait status in Division III student athletes, despite the objections of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).   NCAA delegates voted 254 to 200 in favor of the measure at the 2013... [More]

“So,” the journalist interviewing me asked, “you are for paternalism, then?”   Pause.  I feel the linguistic walls closing in on me.  Are you for paternalism?  Are you against life?  When did you stop beating your wife? The case against pater... [More]

Last year, Quest Diagnostics Inc  spent $740 million to buy a company that owns rights to some patents on human genes. So the prospect of a Supreme Court ruling in 2013 striking down such patents might seem scary. It isn't, said spokeswoman Wendy Bost. An end to gene patents could be a "... [More]

A new test, called chromosomal microarray technology, is providing doctors and prospective parents with more information than ever before about the genetic makeup of a baby still in the womb. But what that knowledge actually means is not always clear, causing confusion and anxiety for parents and p... [More]

Genetic testing of shark fin soup from cities across the United States has found DNA from eight endangered and threatened shark species.   In the first nationwide analysis of shark fin soup, bowls of the Asian delicacy served in 13 out the 14 U.S. cities tested were found to contain spe... [More]

It is a sign of the times — getting a quick DNA test is now as easy as walking up to a truck The “Who’s Your Daddy” recreational vehicle is selling DNA tests, mostly to fathers who suspect their children may not actually be theirs. “They flag us down, they pull ... [More]

  A new method of prenatal testing that can detect more genetic problems in a fetus than ever before could be headed toward wider use after encouraging results from a clinical trial, researchers said. The study, which is expected to be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal so... [More]