Genetic ancestry in precision medicine is reshaping the race debate

Genetic ancestry in precision medicine is reshaping the race debate

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Volume 119, Number 12, Article e2203033119
4 pages
2022-03-16
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203033119

Talia Krainc
Department of Anthropology
Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

Agustín Fuentes, Professor of Anthropology
Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

When including more diverse populations and ancestries in genetic and clinical studies, we need to avoid conflating race with biological identity. Image credit: Shutterstock/tai11.

Precision medicine is an emerging field with immense potential for better understanding of diseases and improved treatment outcomes (1). Its focus: patterns of human genetic variation in populations and individuals—and how such patterns influence disease pathology and treatment. The field rejects the “one size fits all” approach to understanding disease, aspiring to develop tailored therapies that optimize treatment efficacy. It’s a promising but fledgling field that faces numerous challenges, both scientific and practical. But one challenge has not been fully appreciated: the lack of genetic diversity in research and clinical studies (2, 3)…

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