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Biobanks

Validate gene findings before telling donors

Nature volume 484, page 455 (2012)Cite this article

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You report on recommendations that US biobanks should make participants in genome studies aware of incidental findings about their own DNA that might be medically relevant (Nature 483, 373 and Nature 483, 387; 2012). But assigning participants access rights to research that is not validated could be putting the cart before the horse.

Incidental findings about an individual's gene variants need to be verified analytically before being returned to the DNA donor (S. M. Wolf et al. Genet. Med. 14, 361–384; 2012). Even if a variant is accurately defined, further evidence of both clinical validity and utility are needed if its discovery is to be meaningful.

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  1. Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics, Uppsala University, Sweden

    Mats G. Hansson

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  1. Mats G. Hansson
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Hansson, M. Validate gene findings before telling donors. Nature 484, 455 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/484455d

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