CGS-authored
Wanted: Your genes.
Hoping to link illnesses to genetics and lifestyle, the federal government is exploring the possibility of recruiting a half-million Americans to contribute their DNA and health information to an ambitious national "biobank."
Some scientists consider the project a long shot, largely because billions of dollars are needed to fund it at a time when Congress is busy spending money on other things. And before any such study is launched, they say, Americans need protection from genetic discrimination.
Despite those challenges, the National Institutes of Health is cautiously testing the waters this spring, holding "town hall" meetings, interviewing community leaders and conducting a national survey of 4,000 Americans.
Scientists have long collected DNA from individual families with histories of deadly disease to find patterns in who lives and who dies. And countries such as Great Britain and Estonia, along with Kaiser Permanente and other large health-care providers, are beginning to compile health information and collect DNA from patients.
But a biobank of America's vast and diverse population would offer a far richer treasure trove of data. The size...