The Year of Personal Genomics

A feature story in Discover magazine rounds up the progress that personal genomics companies have made in 2007, as well as what consumers should expect from them. Though some tests can make relatively concrete predictions (like Agendia's FDA-approved MammaPrint), SNP screening can only offer the probability of developing a certain disease. While companies like Decode and Navigenics can offer consumers a "more complete health profile," says the article, the current test "cannot predict for sure whether a person will develop a given disease." That's not news to GTO readers, of course, but it's a good story to pass on to your civilian friends.