It is said that a drop of blood can measure talent, disease and even marriage.
In recent years, the genetic testing market has developed vigorously. The reporter searched for the word "genetic testing" on a large e-commerce platform, and more than 2,000 related product information appeared. On two third-party enterprise information inquiry platforms, such as Kaixinbao and National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, the reporter found that there are nearly 1,000 enterprises with the word "gene" in their company names in only five cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou.
Some enterprises have taken great pains in naming companies, highlighting labels such as "talents" and "children's talents". On the Internet, many enterprises under the banner of "biotechnology" put advertisements about gene sequencing products. The registered capital of these companies varies greatly, some are only 300 thousand yuan, and some are as high as 10 million yuan or even 100 million yuan.
Ms. Li, who lives in Chengdu High-tech Zone, recently spent nearly 20,000 yuan on a set of genetic tests for her children. The company said that taking a drop of blood can test a child's future development potential. The report that Ms. Li got, like a "gobbledygook", is full of professional concepts, only a few familiar words such as "gene" and "probability". "This is far from what I imagined, and I feel cheated." Ms. Li said.
In the current genetic testing market, testing talent and personality is "standard", and some companies can even test marriage and love. A genetic technology company in Beijing has launched a so-called "genetic test for matching men and women's personalities and hobbies", claiming that it can help people identify the right person as soon as possible. These tests include not only personality factors such as enterprise, frugality, anxiety and depression, but also lifestyle habits such as caffeine preference, dessert preference and coriander preference.
For example, official website, a genetic testing company, claims that it can provide genetic testing related to various potentials and traits in the process of individual growth, even including items such as "tanning risk", "fat burning ability" and "longevity probability".
Are various gene sequencing projects reliable?
Are various gene sequencing projects reliable? Li Tao, director of the Radiotherapy Center of Sichuan Cancer Hospital, said that genetic testing technology is still in its infancy in China, and the technical standards and market access standards of genetic testing companies are blank. Many institutions have problems such as exaggerating the detection function and misleading consumers.
A professional working in a gene sequencing enterprise said that the so-called genetic testing talents mainly rely on the comparison of gene samples provided by consumers with the company's sample database. If a child's genes perform well, it is considered that he has special skills and talents in some aspects.
Liu Qiji, a professor of medical genetics at Shandong University School of Medicine, said that talents do exist, but under the current technical conditions, it is not clear which genes bring which talents, which is not enough as a basis for predicting a child's fate.
Hu Liang, director of the research department of CITIC Xiangya Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, said that children's achievements are largely the result of the interaction of genes and environment, and the environment plays a greater role. Some natural genetic testing projects only misinterpret and amplify the previous research results of the functional correlation of some genes. It is totally unreliable to judge whether a child is gifted only by detecting a specific gene, and it is absolutely impossible to label a child.
In fact, many testing institutions simply lack the necessary qualifications. The reporter found that some gene sequencing companies that provide gene testing are engaged in "information consultation" but "medical diagnosis" in industrial and commercial registration.
Wang Junyi, Ph.D. from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the founder of One Gene, revealed that there are many companies doing genetic testing at present. Regular genetic testing institutions should have independent medical testing laboratories; Experimental technicians who carry out prenatal screening and prenatal diagnosis projects shall have corresponding prenatal screening and prenatal diagnosis qualifications; There are at least 1 person of medical genetics professionals who carry out genetic-related gene testing projects. However, at present, many genetic testing institutions do not have independent medical laboratories, and their professional level is uneven.
With more and more elderly pregnant women, non-invasive prenatal genetic testing is becoming more and more popular. Some hospitals entrust enterprises to carry out non-invasive prenatal genetic testing, and some enterprises have no relevant clinical qualifications at all. In Hunan, some unqualified top three hospitals and even community hospitals are carrying out non-invasive prenatal genetic testing. Most of these hospitals do not have the relevant technology and equipment, but only take blood and send the samples to testing institutions. Some insiders said that this phenomenon is an "open secret".
Popular science: genetic disease detection
"Genetic physical examination" is part of the application of gene sequencing technology in human body. Changhai Chen, director of the National Health Management Demonstration Base of the 202nd Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, suggested that compared with routine physical examination, apart from convenience, the special features of genetic physical examination are:
1, which is safer and more accurate.
Taking the most mature non-invasive prenatal genetic testing as an example, by detecting the free DNA of the fetus in the blood of pregnant women, the probability of down syndrome in infants can be accurately detected. Another example is cancer treatment. If targeted sequencing is carried out on tumor tissues, personalized medication and monitoring can be carried out accordingly, so as to alleviate the pain of patients, reduce the economic burden and improve the treatment effect in a targeted manner.
2. Early detection and prevention
Scientific evaluation based on personal genetic data can provide targeted prevention or treatment programs, and "treating people according to their needs" greatly improves the timeliness and accuracy of diagnosis and treatment. Personalized dietary guidance and life prevention can help people with high potential risk to avoid or delay illness.