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Europe and direct-to-consumer genetic tests

Nature Reviews Genetics volume 13, page 146 (2012)Cite this article

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In a recent Ethics watch article in this journal (Ethics watch: Direct-access genetic testing: the view from Europe. Nature Reviews Genetics 12, 670 (2011))1, a call for a more detailed investigation of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing in Europe was made in order to enable enforcement of a more targeted European regulation. In this contribution, we want to support this position and provide additional important details.

Although DTC genetic-testing services are currently being offered in Europe through a limited number of companies only, this issue has been raised in debates at many levels. At the European level, the European Society of Human Genetics has addressed the topic several times2,3,4. A report was also prepared by the Science and Technology Options Assessment for the European Parliament5. Furthermore, the European Academies of Science and the Federation of European Academies of Medicine have currently set up a working group to provide orientations at the European level.

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References

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Acknowledgements

H.C.H. is funded by the European Commission FP7 Marie Curie initiative.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Heidi Carmen Howard is at the Institute for BioMedical Ethics, University of Basel, Missionstrasse 24, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland. ,

    Heidi Carmen Howard

  2. Pascal Borry is at the Department of Clinical Genetics and Department of Medical Humanities, VU University Medical Center and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, The Netherlands.,

    Pascal Borry

  3. Pascal Borry is also at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35, BOX 7001, Leuven, 3000, Belgium

    Pascal Borry

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Correspondence to Heidi Carmen Howard or Pascal Borry.

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Howard, H., Borry, P. Europe and direct-to-consumer genetic tests. Nat Rev Genet 13, 146 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3073-c1

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