Oversight of Genetic Testing - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences
Abstract
In June, as the public and private genome projects prepared to announce the rough mapping of the human genome, a special Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) genetics ethics committee was wrapping up its own report on how the government should oversee genetic testing. In the report, sent to assistant secretary and surgeon general David Satcher, the Health and Human Services Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing, or SACGT, recommends that the government provide additional oversight on genetic tests and that the Food and Drug Administration take the lead in approving all new genetic tests. "The American people want to see that they can trust a test," says Edward McCabe, chairman of the SACGT and professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles. "We want to see that there is a positive impact on medical care." Privacy in the age of genetic tests remains a thorny issue. There is also the psychological effect of knowing about one's possible health risks and the fear of discrimination in the workplace or by health insurers because of information contained in DNA. Public understanding of genetics is a significant factor. In February, President Bill Clinton issued an executive order