SAN FRANCISCO Attention Americans: A new company wants your DNA.
A California firm called for volunteers to donate their DNA in an effort to aid scientists searching for the genes that cause 20 common diseases such as asthma and breast cancer.
Privately held DNA Sciences Inc. wants as many as 100,000 people to donate blood yielding genetic material for research which one day could allow doctors to tailor drugs for each individual, and to predict who is at risk for certain diseases, said Steve Lehrer, the mountain view, Calif. firm's chief business officer.
The company's announcement of its "gene trust" comes after public and private researchers in June announced they had completed the human genome project, sequencing and assembling the human genetic code in a move researchers hope may one day transform medicine and eradicate some diseases.
"If you had a dictionary, the human genome project told us what all the words are but it has not told us yet what each word means," Lehrer said. "What we are trying to do is leverage what the human genome project started." While the advances have thrilled many geneticists, they have also raised fears that people predisposed toward certain diseases could one day be denied coverage from insurers or face discrimination from employers.
To protect the privacy of those participating in the gene trust, DNA Sciences will encrypt all data collected on the Internet and donors will be anonymous, company officials said.
Participants are asked to go to the company's Website, (www.dna.com), and complete a confidential personal and family health profile.
If their profile matches the needs of one of the ongoing research projects, they will be asked to donate a blood sample.
The samples are to be collected by independent health professionals and will be assigned an anonymous code before they are turned over to DNA science researchers.
Company officials say the project marks the first time that consumers are being asked to participate directly in genetic research which could one day yield benefits for all.
While there is no money in it for the volunteers, they will get information about findings as the studies progress and receive free use of any future screening tests.
Susan Friday of Pacific Palisades, Calif. said she decided to participate because the benefits for her family outweighed any potential pitfalls.
"Diabetes has been a big part of my life," she said in a statement.
"Participating in the gene trust is my way to advance medicine for the sake of science, but more importantly, for future generations of my family." The firm, which has James Watson, a discoverer of the DNA Double Helix, as a director and Netscape founder James Clark as an investor, is also working with patient groups and health-related Websites to spur recruitment.
Lehrer estimated that it would take until next August to fill out the research groups of 5,000 participants each, representing the 20 targeted diseases. The initial research efforts will focus on Type II diabetes, coronary artery disease, asthma, multiple sclerosis and breast cancer.
However, research could begin before August if some 1,000 volunteers are found for each research group. So far the database includes a couple of hundred donors, he said.
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the chemical substance that forms the building blocks of genetic material.
(Reuter)