TED Talks: Anne Wojcicki Of 23AndMe Discusses Consumer Genomics At TED MED 2009 (VIDEO)

Here's a question: If you could find out whether you were genetically predisposed to a life-altering disease like Alzheimer's or breast cancer, would you want to know?

The mere thought is enough to terrify some. Yet this is precisely the question Anne Wojcicki's innovative start-up, 23andMe, is interested in. Utilizing the latest genetic mapping technologies, Wojcicki and her team of scientists have created the one of the first successful Consumer Genome companies in history.

Sound impressive? There's more: In the last two years, 23andMe has been able to create one of the largest databases of genetic information in the world -- with "over 30,000 active genomes of people who are participating." The process is simple: Consumers sign up for a $400 genetic self-test kit, provide a saliva sample and -- boom -- they receive a full breakdown of their genetic history, including their disease risk factors.

Wojcicki spoke about the health care implications for 23andMe at the 2009 TED MED conference in San Diego, California.

According to Wojcicki, "the consumer is really under utilized in health care." Whereas academics own hard data, and pharmaceutical companies hold patents to various medicines, consumers are often left without a voice within our health care system. Twenty-three and Me is Wojcicki's answer to this power imbalance. "We need to create something outside of the system that is going to give all of us power to make a difference."

A strong advocate of preventive medicine, Wojcicki sees in 23andMe a means to combat disease before it takes hold. "We want better health care and we want it now," she says. "If there's a drug response and I'm not going to respond well to that drug, I want to know."

Ultimately, 23andMe acts as a tool by which to increase patient agency in the face of a massive health care crisis. "We want power outside of the health care system," Wojcicki says. "That power is being able to say 'I want my genome,' and 'I want to connect with other people's genomes about specific diseases.' That's 23andMe."

Watch:

Comments

[redplanet]

04:21 PM on 04/07/2010

I just got my results back from 23andme. This has been an exciting experience. I am awash in data and loving it. There were 2 locked reports and you had to read a lot of caveats to make sure you really wanted to know the answers. I skimmed it and opened as fast as I could. No one is going to keep me from my information.

I see people worried what insurance companies are going to do. Don't. You control the data (and Anne being married to Google founder does not make your data vulnerable). The question is: What kind of monsters are insurance companies and why do I want them controlling me and why did I want ObamaCare if this is the end result?

The data on here is far beyond what will I die of - it isn't like that at all. This is genetic research showing markers on genes and why, for example, you might be able to eat salt with no hypertension problems. Or if you have the marker that shows drinking tea will reduce your chances of breast cancer. Fast or slow coffee metabolizer? High or low pain sensitivity? Reaction to Warfarin is decoded. What do your genes tell you about your chances for melanoma and basal cell carcinoma?

This data is not used for insurance. No one is sharing it. If you choose to not know anything, that's your choice. But not knowing because you are afraid of an insurance co is not rational.

[MNKen]

12:44 PM on 04/06/2010

Agree with all previous posters on this thread that it is a huge risk because of insurance companies. In addition, why would I want to know that maybe, possibly, some day in the future, I might be at risk of something?

I know my grandparents had heart issues, my mother has arthritis and other health info. Why go into the DNA details to find out all that maybe/might be in my future? Does not mean it will happen or that I could even prevent it. To answer the question at the top of the article, woud I want to know? No.

[redplanet]

04:25 PM on 04/07/2010

Actually you can learn a lot (and you don't have to do it through 23andme) about how to control expressing (turning on) a gene you have for a certain disease or trait. Having the marker is not, as you say, destiny. But you can do things to control your potential expression of it. Go research the field of epigenetics. It's all about how much control we really do have over our health.

[noweknow]

12:26 PM on 04/06/2010

Why? Do you want to live forever?

[b1986]

03:17 AM on 04/07/2010

I think it's more about not dieing a slow, painful, and disease ridden death.

[ipogo]

11:43 AM on 04/06/2010

As long as health care is determined by for profit insurance companies, information like this could be hazardous to your (financial) health. Don't ask, don't tell.

[audadvnc]

11:22 AM on 04/06/2010

If a medical company is testing DNA for evidence of life threatening ailments, they have one reason - to place you in a "high risk" category so they can overcharge you for insurance. I wouldn't do it.

[Yoda103]

10:52 AM on 04/06/2010

If only the service were anonymous. They control even your IP adress.The owner is married to one of the Google guys.If tomorrow they decide to sell the company,there goes your life.No thanks,in this case I'd rather not know. Privacy is on life support but I still care about the little I have left,particularly when it comes to my health and my DNA.