Not Everything Is Genetic!

By Eleanor Griffith, MS, CGC · May 2018

Genetic counselor Katie Stoll recently published the results of an experiment: she submitted a sample to the DTC company ORIG3N — a sample that was actually from her dog — and received back a completed Child Development DNA test report. She then submitted a sample that was just tap water, and received another completed report. ORIG3N claims its tests are based on "established scientific and medical research" and targets parents with promises about their children's natural language and learning abilities.

There Is No Such Thing as a "Gene for Language"

Dr. Simon E. Fisher, who has researched the FOXP2 gene (listed by ORIG3N under "language ability"), explained in a detailed thread why this framing is fundamentally misleading. Genes don't directly specify behaviors or skills. FOXP2 encodes a protein that switches other genes on and off, has functions in lung, gut, and heart tissue as well as brain, and is found across many species. Mutations have disproportionate effects on speech and language — but that is far from "FOXP2 is the gene for language."

Polygenic Is the Norm

Many DTC tests are based on GWAS findings — genetic markers slightly more common in groups with a given trait. This is interesting research, but not a clinically validated test. Genetics, environment, and chance all contribute to health conditions and human traits. For most complex traits, the genetic component is spread across thousands of variants, each with a tiny individual effect. If marketing claims for a genetic test sound too good to be true, they may well be.