Genetics Research May Slow Without Privacy Protections, Federal Panel Warns

By Paul Basken

Washington

The blossoming revolution in genetic medicine, with its promise for solving scores of debilitating diseases, could be derailed if government fails to develop comprehensive privacy protections, a federal advisory panel warned on Thursday.

Issues of cost and awareness currently deter most people from pursuing tests that would identify their overall genetic makeup, the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues said in its