Consumer genetics apps derided as 'pseudoscience'
The potentially lucrative market in direct-to-consumer gene reports could be at risk from a slew of products which, some critics have argued, do not have a strong scientific basis. Helix, a spin-out from gene sequencer Illumina, sells a range of products based on genetic information on behalf of third-party firms that do everything from helping people manage their weight to offering a look at what a couple's future child may look like. California-based geneticist Eric Topol said: “The data has no basis. It’s pseudoscience.” The US Federal Trade Commission is monitoring the sector closely but said it does not want to impede innovation.

In response to critics, Helix cofounder Justin Kao cautions against a “paternalistic” attitude toward what kind of information consumers should be able to spend their money on. “People should be able to choose how they want to interact and experience DNA-powered insights and decide for themselves what is of value to them,” he says.

Helix has a detailed process for screening the science behind tests it markets and has rejected more than a dozen, according to Kao. Others have been modified to restrict what they claim DNA can do. Helix also gets advice from a panel of six scientific advisers who meet by phone or in person, including to talk about upcoming apps.

One is Gonçalo Abecasis, a population geneticist at the University of Michigan. “We say ‘That makes sense,’ or ‘That is crazy.’ It’s a lively discussion every time,” says Abecasis. He thinks Helix is an important experiment because it is exploring what mass-market uses of the genome will look like. And some apps that bother Topol don’t bother him at all: “If I sell you a scarf patterned with your DNA, you could say, ‘Hey, is that worth it?’ But you wouldn’t say, ‘Where is the scientific evidence?’”

To Ewan Birney, director of the European Bioinformatics Institute, the direct-to-consumer DNA phenomenon is a typically American approach, led by private companies and focused on individuals. By contrast, in Europe there’s more emphasis on national projects whose findings can be integrated into national health services, he says.

Diet apps

One of the newest apps on Helix is from Arivale, a spinout of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, which calls itself a “scientific wellness company.” The concept is to surround customers with a “data cloud”—comprehensive information about their blood, gut microbes, and DNA—that could be used to suggest dietary changes.

Helix

The full program costs more than $1,000 per year. But for $89, via Helix, the company is offering customers an initial look at their genes and one consultation with a dietitian. The weight loss app, called Beat Your Genes, lets people view screens indicating whether, genetically, they are more or less predisposed to having a high body-mass index.

These DNA clues can inform personalized diet advice, says Arivale CEO Clayton Lewis. Do you taste bitter foods more intensely? Maybe the dietitian can suggest that you sauté your onions. Do you have a propensity for higher weight on a paleo diet? Try a switch to carbs.