This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

[daniel]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has purchased genome sequencing kits from 23andMe / deCODEme / Navigenics / etc. and if they've somehow helped in determining any treatments?

I just received a google alert today with the following article
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-06-11/news/life-sciences-one-size-does-not-fit-all

Excerpt:

Dr. Topol told the audience that in the last week alone, major genes for multiple sclerosis, for about 4 percent of all ovarian cancers, and for testicular cancer were discovered and reported.

These discoveries will lead to specific drugs being developed that will hit at the cause of the disease, reducing side effects and showing higher efficacy rates. He expressed that pharmacogenomics is just now really taking hold and provided Erbitux as a key example.

Any thoughts / insights / opinions would be greatly appreciated =)

Dan

More details on personal genome companies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_genomics#Predictive_medicine_services_already_available

[rainer]

I had the same thought when I read about these months ago. Not sure how helpful it'd be right now for MS. This is what the 23andme site has:

We analyze 2 SNPs associated with Multiple Sclerosis: rs6897932, and rs3135388. Based on these markers, our estimate of a person's lifetime odds of getting Multiple Sclerosis can range from near zero to 1%. Our estimate is applicable to people of European ethnicity, based on available published scientific research.

Our Multiple Sclerosis report is a Research Report. The associations in this report do not establish a large enough increase in risk to be considered a Clinical Report. For a disease to be included in Clinical Reports, the riskiest combination of genotypes must increase a person's odds of developing the condition by a factor of three or greater and elevate absolute lifetime risk to at least 5%.

However they do say that as new research comes out you'll be able to run your results against it. Does that plus the fact that its really cool make it worth $400? Dunno.