The US Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues has finished its year-long discussion of the ethical implications of applying whole genome sequencing to genetic research and clinical care, writes Dan Klotz at the commission's blog. "The Commission's recommendations," said commission chair Amy Gutmann, "clump into two big categories, one is consent to whole genome sequencing and to the possible findings and how they will be treated, and the other is oversight."
As our sister publication GenomeWeb Daily News reports, the commission's draft recommendations "focus on the development of policies for protecting data and limiting access to it, on implementation of 'workable' informed consent policies, and on policies that facilitate the benefits of genomic data for research and the public good." At the Bioethics blog, Klotz adds that the commission plans to present its report to President Barack Obama in the fall.