大象传媒

Breaking news, politics, current affairs and entertainment updates, plus a look at the Sunday papers. Text 85058 [network rates]. Includes the 5 live Report:

DIY DNA

Private companies are cashing in on gene therapy by selling do-it-yourself testing kits that claim to evaluate your personal genetic profile and assess your chances of getting ill. But are they are a valuable tool in the battle against hereditary diseases such a cystic fibrosis or simply a gimmick?

It makes sense to know whether we鈥檙e likely to be ill in the future but genetic screening is still a science in its infancy. Testing positive does not necessarily mean you will develop symptoms and a negative result is no guarantee of good health. So just how useful are they?

The genetic testing industry is unregulated and open to abuse, since there is no legislation in place to prevent the results being used to decide who can get insurance or whether someone should be given a job.

For the 5 live Report, Dr Tom Shakespeare, expert in genetics and disability activist, investigates whether genetic testing is good for your health or just for other people鈥檚 wealth.