A presidential panel is grappling with many ethical issues arising from the potential of increased use of whole genome sequencing in clinical care: Is it ethical to allow healthcare providers to interpret the data without a health systems infrastructure to help them interpret it? What will be the privacy protections for people who have the testing? Are privacy issues around genetic testing any different from other personal health information? The U.S. Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues plans to discuss its recommendations publicly and come to consensus views at its August meeting. The recommendations are to be finalized in a report to President Obama that is expected to be completed this fall. What do you think about the committee’s likeliness to impact guidelines for clinical sequencing?

Poll Question:
How helpful will the President’s bioethics commission be in setting guidelines for the ethical use of whole genome sequencing in the clinical setting?

Very
15

Somewhat
14

Not Much
13

Undecided
2

Previous articleSanofi to Shutter Genzyme’s R&D Site in Cambridge, U.K.
Next articleMerck & Co. Licenses Protein Sciences’ Insect Cell Vaccine Production Platform