First it was “Dirty Dancing” then it was “Ghost”, and Patrick Swayze danced his way into every girl’s heart (including mine) who wished to find the same sensible and sensual man that Swayze portrayed in his films. So it’s with such a loss that tonight, Swayze’s publicist announced that the actor had died.
After battling a deadly form of pancreatic cancer for almost two years, Patrick Swayze died Monday at his home in Los Angeles, and my condolence goes out to his family.

When the news first broke in March 2008 that Swayze has cancer, he was given a prognosis of anywhere …read more

Testing for one’s genetic risk has become increasingly popular in recent years with the mapping of the human genome. Now, you have the opportunity to know if you carry the BRCA genes, or know your risk for Alzheimer’s, other cancers, heart diseases and other diseases and traits, and even one’s genetic ancestry, based on the presence of certain DNA segments in your genome.
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) DNA testing, also known as personal genome services, allows a person to get his genetic profile just simply by swabbing one’s cheeks or spitting into a test tube and sending the sample back to the genetic …read more

Thirteen years and US $10 billion later, the first of several human genomes were completely sequenced in 2003 in what is now known as The Human Genome Project. From then on, scientists dreamed of and aimed to get the cost of DNA sequencing down to $1,000 per person.
Although the running cost was around $250,000 per genome last year, well, that’s still thousands more expensive than most people can afford. No wonder only seven people have had their DNA fully sequenced!
But that could all change from now on. A whole genome has been sequenced for only $50,000. Stanford …read more

What does mega-search engine Google and mega-genome services company 23andMe have in common?
Two actually, and maybe more…
First – investments and second, spouses.
This week, Google invested $2.6 million in 23andMe on top of the $7 million invested so far. No surprise there, since Google’s co-founder Sergey Bring is the spouse of 23andMe’s co-founder Anne Wojcicki. But as CNN remarked, it’s one the perks of marrying Google.
 
In another news, biotech giant Illumina has launched a personal genome sequencing service. That is, you can have your entire genome sequenced – all 3 billion DNA – for a hefty …read more

Last month I told you about an innovative partnership that brings community healthcare into the 21st century. The Genomic Medicine Institute was launched at Silicon Valley’s El Camino Hospital together with DNA Direct to enable physicians and their patients access to leading-edge genomic services.
Genomic Medicine Institute was created so that patients can be better directed in their decisions about their medical conditions, especially when it comes to using genetic tests and counseling. For example, when someone finds out she has breast cancer, one of the questions that is asked is will she pass it to her daughter? Should she tell …read more

It may be unconventional to post a promo trailer on a genetics site, but I’ve been waiting for this film since I first heard of it.
“My Sister’s Keeper” is the story of two young sisters whose lives would be intertwined beyond their control. Kate is the older sister – beautiful, graceful and living with a rare genetic disease called acute promyelocytic leukemia. Anna is three years younger – genetically engineered and conceived to be a genetic match for Kate. Whatever Kate’s body needs – cord blood, blood, bone marrow, kidney – Anna is the donor. How many times can you …read more

In recent years, more and more genetic tests and therapies have become available for patients, physicians and the interested individual. But how does one know which tests to take or are appropriate for one’s condition? And what do we do after we have the test results on our hands? Can our physician help us?
This March, the Genomic Medicine Institute was launched at El Camino Hospital in Monterey, California in response to the emerging opportunities and challenges that the genomic era has introduced. El Camino partnered with DNA Direct to become the first community hospital to integrate genomic medical services into …read more

  After describing himself as an “unemployed geneticist”, Francis Collins now reveals that he has been “working night and day” with the White House transition for health and human services with Tom Daschle.  Now that that’s over, he is ready to discuss the progress that personalized medicine needs for it to move forward in a responsible way.
Francis Collins, the public face of the human genome research and former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, spoke to biomedical researchers, biotech execs and policy people at a meeting in Washington DC organized by the Personalized Medicine Coalition.
"If we’re …read more

I chanced upon this article – Genetic testing under the microscope – in the Los Angeles Times of an interview with the President of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Angela Trepanier, and she presents an interesting perspective on the future of personalized medicine.
In the near future, Trepanier says that genetic testing will become a routine part of healthcare. Right now, access to one’s genetic information can be had for at least $400, and one is able to find out which diseases and conditions your genetic makeup may be association with. But the company doesn’t offer any medical …read more

  Now that accessing your genetic information is cheaper than buying a Google Smartphone, now what? What can you get from it? How can you use it? Just as important, but less asked – how do you protect it?
The journal "Nature" joins the debate with a full online issue devoted to the personal genome revolution and its implications. For a fee or for free, you can squeeze more information out of the SNP data or full sequence you got from the commercial genome services you paid for initially. For example, you can get an idea of your risk for …read more