Today, The Lancet published the most thorough analysis of the genome of a single human being, Stanford bioengineer Stephen Quake. As the cost of genomic sequencing continues to drop, making it available to more people, it’s important to analyze that information in a way that is clinically relevant. When a patient goes to their doctor with their genomic sequence data, it should be clear what to do with it and the Lancet study gives a snapshot of the potential usefulness of that information. The analysis of Quake’s genome found that he was at increased risk for a heart attack, type-2 diabetes, some cancers, and–what no one wants to hear–sudden death. They even predicted his response to medications: warfarin, Plavix, and lipid-lowering therapy.

This is a great lift for companies like Navagenics and 23andMe, which sell genomic analysis services.

Filed under: Innovation, Science and Medicine