Download The Effects of Predictive Genetic Testing on the - Antioch Co-op

The Effects of Predictive
Genetic Testing on the
Insurance Industry
Chris Welter
Antioch College
One Morgan Place, Yellow Springs Ohio 45387
Background
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)technology
- Ethical debate in the 1990’s
- My experience in the insurance industry
WHy should my study be done?
- 80-90% predictability rate for Colon Cancer
- No knowledge of psychological effects
- No study of effect on risk-based insurance
industry
Methods: Psychological TEsting
- Prior to Genetic testing, Participants will
be screened for anxiety, depression, and
general and situational distress (Michie,
2001)
- Carriers and non-carriers of the colon
cancer gene will be screened again after
they have received their results
Methods: Risk Assessment
- I will Utilize polymerase chain reaction
(PCR) technology to generate copies of
participant’s genes (Orita et al., 1989)
+
+
+
Denaturation - Heated to 94℃ which results in the melting or separation
of the double stranded DNA template into two single stranded molecules
Annealing - The oligonucleotide primers anneal to or find their
complementary sequences on the two single-stranded template strands of
DNA. These act as primers for taq polymerase. All of this is done at 60℃
Extension - Taq polymerase adds the nucleotides to make a complementary
copy of the DNA template. This is done at 72℃
I will look for mutated MSH2, MLH1, and MSH6 genes
Anticipated Results
- Cancer gene carriers will not qualify for
insurance coverage, or have extremely high
premiums
- Also, those gene carriers will have
increased anxiety, depression, and general
and situational distress--Contrary to the
findings of (Broadstock et al., 2000)
Conclusion
- 2 year process
- $25,000 budget
Questions?
Acknowledgements
- Justin Wilson and Philip Crawford from
Symmetry Financial Group
- Brian Kot, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of
Environmental Science and Biology