23andMe Has Teamed Up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to Help Research for Parkinson's

The internet is home to many fascinating and quirky things. Right at this moment, anybody can use DNA kits to uncover where their family has come from and even their genetic makeup. Many internet celebrities, YouTubers, and blogs are talking about this new fad of DNA testing. But is it really just a fad?

Well, the answer is No. One of the most notable DNA kits out there today is 23andMe, which is also a catchy name to fit the human’s genetic makeup. It currently offers up to 75 reports about a person’s DNA, which include a person's ancestry, genetic health risks, wellness, carrier states, and other genetic traits that run through their family. However, this service is just available to US citizens as of this moment.

What is 23andMe?

As mentioned earlier, 23andMe is an appropriate name for this new service. A human being has 46 chromosomes in the cell’s DNA, and 23 chromosomes come from both of their parents. The DNA, or Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is just like it seems in your old textbooks from school. DNA is shaped like a double helix coiling together to form the carrier of a human being’s biological information. Almost every cell in the body contains a person’s DNA with some exceptions, like blood cells.

23andMe's process in analyzing DNA 

The 23andMe kit works with saliva samples. They send the buyer a kit to take their saliva and cheek swab samples with proper instructions on how to minimize contamination. Then, it's sent to their labs where they perform genotyping. Genotyping is a method used in identifying the differences of the genetic makeup of a person’s DNA. This method reveals the inherited alleles from the person’s parents. An allele is the specific genetic trait that a person gets from their parents. This may show in their physical makeup or just exist as a recessive trait in their DNA.

In their process, they locate the variants or the differences between the strands of DNA. The differences may show specific information about a person’s ancestry or health conditions. These differences usually occur in specific locations, and the variants are also inherited from parents to their offsprings. The 23andMe DNA kits analyzes these variants and write reports on the ethnic ancestries and in the US, as well as their possible genetic risks

What are the genetic risks?

There are several things a child may inherit from their parents. One might have their mother’s height and their dad's nose, but some also inherit any health risks that are in the family. A genetic risk is a disease that runs in the family and puts a person at risk as well. The risk here means that there is a possibility that a person may acquire the disease. Being predisposed for a certain disease does not mean you will be diagnosed with it in the future.

Genetic health risks can be characterized by having one or more members of your family having that specific medical condition. It is also often that, that relative would be diagnosed with that condition at an early age. Another marker would be having a relative that has that condition despite that disease being rare to that gender, for example, a female with a heart problem. Multiple diseases may also run in a family.

Read on to learn the wonderful work that 23andMe is doing to help Parkinson's disease research with the Michael J. Fox Foundation.