The British House of Lords Science and Technology Committee is saying that private gene testing industry must be more tightly regulated. A code of conduct is needed to stop bogus claims from being made.
The Committee’s report also said that the tests, which predict the risk of disease later in life, needed to be more thoroughly reviewed before being marketed.
The completion of the human genome map in 2000 has led to a boom in genetic research and services. Before that, much of the focus was on single-gene disorders, such as cystic fibrosis. But the complete map opened the possibility of new and better screening and treatment for a range of more complex disorders.