For now, genomic maps are far from being crystal balls

WASHINGTON (AP) – the undependable idea that all people should do a genomic map so that they can respond in a timely manner of any disease is by now an illusion, according to recent research.

The study argues that the decoding of DNA to an ordinary person would not be crystal ball capable of revealing the future of their health.

Today, scientists are able to draw complete maps of genomes for purposes primarily research, so that they can study the role that have genetic mutations in different diseases.

Also use them to try to diagnose mysterious evils that striking families. All this is very different to have a genetic test to see if someone carries, for example, a gene causing cancer.

But given that the realization of genomic maps is now more quickly and cheaply, scientists and people are wondering about the potential benefits of a more general usage: know all the hidden defects in DNA of someone would predict disease that will later be?

La Johns Hopkins University developed a model with the records of thousands of identical twins, who despite their shared genes may have different diseases. The scientists examined 24 ailments, including different types of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

In the best of scenarios, most of the people could be told that you have a risk eldest of at least getting one disease, said Dr. Bert Vogelstein, who is a specialist in genetics of cancer and the main author of the study.

If someone has a negative test for most of the rest of the disease, this does not mean that it will not suffer. It only means that it has no more risk than the population in general. These are the results that the Vogelstein team reported Monday in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

The reason is that cancer, for example, is not usually inherited genes, but the mutations that can form at any time, explained Vogelstein. Many other common diseases are influenced by the way of life and the environment. Accordingly, there is to persevere in eating well, exercising and the other usual precautions.