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DNA Databases Are Too White
Tina Hesman Saey, Science News, March 4, 2021
It’s been two decades since the Human Genome Project first unveiled a rough draft of our genetic instruction book. The promise of that medical moon shot was that doctors would soon be able to look at an individual’s DNA and prescribe the right medicines for that person’s illness or even prevent certain diseases.
That promise, known as precision medicine, has yet to be fulfilled in any widespread way. True, researchers are getting clues about some genetic variants linked to certain conditions and some that affect how drugs work in the body. But many of those advances have benefited just one group: people whose ancestral roots stem from Europe. In other words, white people.
March 4, 2021 at 6:30 am
It’s been about 20 years since scientists unveiled a rough draft of the human genome. This is all of the DNA found in a human cell. Think of it like a genetic instruction book for the body. Creating that rough draft was like a medical moonshot. It held out the promise that doctors might soon be able look at someone’s DNA and prescribe the right medicines for their illness. They might even prevent certain diseases.
That promise is known as precision medicine. But it has yet to be fulfilled in any widespread way.
Researchers are getting clues about some DNA variants linked to certain conditions. Some people have them. Others might not. And scientists have figured out how some variants affect the way drugs work in the body. But many of those advances have helped just one group: people whose ancestors came from Europe. In other words, white people.
A lack of diversity in genetic databases is making precision medicine ineffective for many people. One historian proposes a solution: construct reference genomes for individual populations.