People who are concerned with the dangers of serious illnesses likeParkinson’s Disease or various types of cancer have a new resource toevaluate the likelihood of contracting them — an online service thatanalyzes genes and reports on the possibility of contracting diseases.
For $399, customers can mail a saliva sample to 23andMe, a personalgenomics company, which will test the customer’s DNA for genes thathave been commonly correlated with certain diseases. The site thenprovides a report on whether clients are more, less or as likely asthe average person to develop 116 different diseases and traits.
But there are several variables with services like these that makegenetic testing a slippery slope, according to Steven Pomarico,biological sciences professor. The company’s talent at gene analysisas well as the quality of current research about various diseasescould effect that test’s accuracy, he said.
“Those things are kind of unknown,” Pomarico said. “Joe Average, justspitting in a cup, may not be able to ascertain this information.”
 
—-Contact Ryan Buxton at [email protected]