Category: clinicial practice

The Use of Cell-free DNA in Clinical Practice: Work in Progress

DNA in test tubes and a doctor with a stethoscope

A recent review outlines the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in clinical practice and the requirements necessary to extend the use of this technology for health impact. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is extracellular strands of DNA present in body fluids. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a specific type of cfDNA that originates from a primary tumor, circulating Read More >

Posted on by Mindy Clyne, Katherine Kolor, Muin J. Khoury, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GeorgiaLeave a commentTags ,

Polygenic Risk Scores in Clinical Practice? Still Making the Case

a polygenic risk score curve with a double helix, a doctor pointing at a tablet with icons surround it, and a doctor talking to her patient

Two recent systematic reviews show the lack of data on clinical utility of polygenic risk scores and major challenges in implementation. The Promise of Polygenic Risk Scores in Population Health Many common diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, result from the combination of genetic factors and physical and social environmental factors. Genome-wide association Read More >

Posted on by Jeffery Osei, Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia; W. David Dotson, Marta Gwinn, Ridgely Fisk Green, Muin J. Khoury, Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta GeorgiaLeave a commentTags , ,

Is it Time to Integrate Polygenic Risk Scores into Clinical Practice? Let’s Do the Science First and Follow the Evidence Wherever it Takes Us!

a polygenetic risk score bell curve and DNA, lab techinicians working in a lab and a doctor talking to his patient

In case you have not been paying much attention to genomic medicine research or social media coverage, you might have missed a clear uptick in the past couple of years  on the value of polygenic risk scores in clinical practice and population screening. (see examples here, here, here, and here) Polygenic risk scores (PRS) summarize Read More >

Posted on by Muin J. Khoury, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and George A. Mensah, Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science, National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland1 CommentTags ,