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USE OF GENOMIC DATA IN RISK ASSESSMENT
Citation:
Rockett, J C. USE OF GENOMIC DATA IN RISK ASSESSMENT. Genome Biology 3(4):4011.1-4011.3, (2002).
Description:
Use of Genomic Data in Risk Assessment
John C. Rockett
Reproductive Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
Abstract
?In the 21st century, the new genomic technologies will greatly improve the accuracy of risk assessment, allowing identification of sensitive subpopulations and, ultimately, allow personalized risk profiling for each individual based on their genetic composition?. So declared the announcement for this meeting, a workshop designed to examine the genomic technologies which might be applied to such risk assessment and their implications for risk characterization and understanding of gene interactions.
There was general consensus that the ability of genomics techniques to return sensitive, reproducibile and quantitative data must all be improved before they can realistically be used in the risk assessment process. There is also a need to standardize and validate the protocols that are developed and maintain rigorous quality assurance control. The good news is that we can anticipate such technical issues to be overcome in relatively short course. Of more concern is how to correctly interpret the vast quantities of complex data generated by the genomic techniques. Without a clear understanding of, for example, gene-environment interactions, differences in species and individual responses, and the qualitative and quantitative linkages between toxicity and disease, there is real potential for disagreement or misinterpretation of data where risk assessment is concerned. Nevertheless, the field of genomics (and proteomics) is developing fast, and will provide many opportunities for applications to risk assessment which need to be recognized and acted upon by regulatory agencies such as EPA and FDA. Developing genomic (and proteomic) applications will require significant investment in both basic and applied research, will impact regulatory practices, and will thus require policy support as well as research support.