The Genetic Testing Registry, launched today (March 1) by the National Center for Biotechnology Information aims to help physicians, patients, and researchers sort through the wealth of genetic tests currently on the market to identify appropriate application of each, ScienceInsider reported. Because most genetic tests don't require Food and Drug Administration approval to be sold as a lab service rather than a medical device, experts suggested to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that increased transparency about genetic tests would be beneficial.
The tests included the database, voluntarily submitted by companies and non-profit labs, cover some 2,500 ailments, including cystic fibrosis, APOE (a risk factor for Alzheimer’s), and a wide range of Mendelian diseases, as well as tests for genes that may indicate how a ...