Expert Says Not All Gene Detection Products Reliable, Despite Plunging Prices

Gene detection companies like WeGene have reduced prices for their consumer products from 999 RMB ($151) to 499 RMB ($75.5) due to a price war since August.

A saliva sample of 2 milliliters is needed for results, which include ancestral analysis, genetic risks assessment, potential indicators, alcohol metabolism, and medication guidance.

Consumers are crazy to know more about their family history, and gene analysis is a reliable way to understand one’s ancestral origin, according to Chen Gang, co-founder of WeGene.

However, ancestral analysis is only theoretical and does not have guidance value, Chen Ke, a researcher at Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, pointed out, saying that there are more than 3,000 companies providing gene detection services of varying quality in the market.

Chen added that the popular practice of genetic testing for talent often misleads consumers, as the result only indicates a correlation rather than any specific talent.

“Talent gene detection might be possible in the future, but right now we lack the technology to do this,” said the expert.

The expert stated that, with scientific and technological progress, some tests like alcohol tolerance testing can be promoted.

Nonetheless, insiders emphasize that testing for inherited factors that put you at risk of developing certain diseases may not be accurate enough, and some results may cause mental stress.

If there are genetic diseases in a family history, whole genome testing, which costs approximately 7,000 yuan (over $1,000), is suggested for advanced interfere treatment, insiders noted.

This article was originally published in Huanqiu.