23andMe has added finer detail for customers with roots that trace back to Indigenous American ancestors from 28 different regions in what is now Mexico.



The update is part of our continuing work to improve 23andMe’s Ancestry reports and features. This new update allows customers with Indigenous American ancestry from one of these  Genetic Groups in Mexico to see their connections genetically as well as geographically. It also helps to convey the breadth of  genetic and cultural diversity of Mexico, and the rich history of Mesoamerican civilizations there.



(Dig deeper into your ancestry with 23andMe&#8217;s <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">DNA Ancestry service</a>, or sign-up for a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">membership</a> to unlock more about your personal genetics and geneaology.)



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="536" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/linkedin_ancestry_update_IC-copy-1024x536.png" alt="A map that shows the indigenous Mexican regions." class="wp-image-31861" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/linkedin_ancestry_update_IC-copy-1024x536.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/linkedin_ancestry_update_IC-copy-300x157.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/linkedin_ancestry_update_IC-copy-768x402.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/linkedin_ancestry_update_IC-copy-880x461.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/linkedin_ancestry_update_IC-copy-1180x618.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/linkedin_ancestry_update_IC-copy.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-indigenous-populations-of-mexico">Indigenous populations of Mexico</h6>



Mexico, and Latin America generally, is <a href="https://en.unesco.org/creativity/activities/designing-policies-support-indigenous-community-radio-mexico">among the world’s most ethnically diverse regions</a>, according to UNESCO. The indigenous people within what is now Mexico have a deep history that predates European colonization by <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02190-y#:~:text=Archaeologists%20excavating%20a%20cave%20in,15%2C000%20years%20earlier%20than%20thought.">more than 15,000 thousand years</a>. Several major indigenous cultures flourished in this precolonial period including the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations.



These indigenous groups developed innovative farming techniques and built large urban centers. <a href="https://maya.nmai.si.edu/the-maya/creation-story-maya">The Maya</a> were skilled astronomers and mathematicians, and developed the unique<a href="https://maya.nmai.si.edu/calendar/calendar-system"> Mayan calendar</a>. They left behind sophisticated art and architecture and massive stone pyramids. The Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, built on an island in Lake Texcoco, was at the center of a <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/aztecs/gUF9FfFqXvfMoF4H#r/313707">vast Aztec empire</a>.



Another city, Teotihuacan founded 2,000 years ago, was the sixth largest urban center in the world at its zenith around the second century AD with a population of more than 120,000. The massive stone pyramids of Teotihuacan can still be seen today. Each of these cultures had their own unique art, music, and belief systems. They each had intricate trade and social hierarchies that buttressed their societies.



Spanish explorers first set foot in Mexico in 1519, and Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztecs by 1521 beginning what became 300 years of Spanish rule.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Ancestry Composition update</h6>



23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Composition report is a living analysis that improves as we add new reference data. Underlying our Ancestry reports are powerful algorithms and analytical tools developed by 23andMe population geneticists and engineers to offer our customers more insights into their ancestral origins.



Over the last few years, we&#8217;ve updated results for people with <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/african-ethnolinguistic-groups/">African Ancestry</a>, <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/ancestry-composition-update-china/">Chinese ancestry,</a> <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-indigenous-caribbean-ancestry">Indigenous Caribbean Ancestry,</a> <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-spanish-and-portuguese-ancestry">Spanish and Portuguese Ancestry,</a> <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/indigenous-genetic-ancestry/">Indigenous American ancestry</a>, and <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-customers-with-british-and-irish-ancestry">British and Irish Ancestry</a>, for instance.



While 23andMe customers may already see evidence of recent ancestry within Mexico, this update and these Genetic Groups represent improvements in specificity. The Genetic Groups that are part of this update are also more reflective of the distinct regional populations and customers&#8217; ancestry.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Regions in Mexico covered in this update</h6>



Today, Mexico recognizes 68 different ethnic groups clustered into <a href="https://www.inali.gob.mx/clin-inali/">11 linguistic families</a>, these in turn can be divided into Northern and Southern regions of Mexico.



23andMe’s new Indigenous Mexico Genetic Groups looks at 28 groups that are also divided between Northern Mexico and Southern Mexico. Many of these Genetic Groups correspond to shared Indigenous American ancestry from parts of Mexico associated with important Indigenous agricultural innovations or specific Indigenous groups. For instance, in the Southern area, some of the Genetic Groups identified are in the Balsas River Basin, which covers an area believed to be where, 9,000 years ago, <a href="https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/new-research-reveals-earliest-evidence-corn-new-world">maize (corn) was first domesticated</a>. Many of the other Genetic Groups correspond with regions once part of the Maya civilization, where Mayan languages are still spoken today. Within the Oaxaca Valley, Zapotec languages predominate, while Mixtec is common in western Oaxaca and southeastern Guerrero.



Below are the lists of Genetic Groups 23andMe has added.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">The Northern Indigenous Mexican Genetic Groups are divided into nine regions:</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Northern Mexican Plateau</li>



<li>Mexican Volcanic Cordillera—East Central</li>



<li>Mexican Volcanic Cordillera—West</li>



<li>Plains of Northeastern Mexico</li>



<li>Sonoran Desert and Baja California</li>



<li>West Central Mexico</li>



<li>East Central Mexico</li>



<li>Upper Santiago River Basin</li>



<li>Mexican Volcanic Cordillera—West Central</li>
</ul>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">The Southern Indigenous Mexican Genetic Groups are divided into 19 regions:</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Yucatán Peninsula</li>



<li>Balsas River Basin—Central Guerrero</li>



<li>Valley of Oaxaca—Ejutla</li>



<li>Valley of Oaxaca—Tlacolula</li>



<li>Sierra Norte of Oaxaca</li>



<li>Chiapas Highlands</li>



<li>Isthmus of Tehuantepec—Oaxaca</li>



<li>Sierra Madre del Sur—Coast</li>



<li>Balsas River Basin—Huitzuco</li>



<li>Mexican Volcanic Cordillera—South Central</li>



<li>Balsas River Basin—North Guerrero</li>



<li>Mexican Volcanic Cordillera—Citlaltépetl and Tehuacán</li>



<li>Balsas River Basin—Tierra Caliente</li>



<li>Mexican Volcanic Cordillera—West Puebla</li>



<li>Balsas River Basin—Southwest Puebla</li>



<li>La Mixteca</li>



<li>Mexican Volcanic Cordillera—Veracruz</li>



<li>Balsas River Basin—West Guerrero</li>



<li>La Mixteca—North</li>
</ul>



More than half a million 23andMe customers, who have tested on our <a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/218392668-Upgrading-to-23andMe-s-Newest-Chip-Version">latest genotyping chip</a>, will receive a match to one or more of the Genetic Groups listed.



Among customers with four grandparents from Mexico, around 60 percent will receive a match to a Genetic Group in northern Mexico, while 30 percent will receive a match to a Genetic Group in southern Mexico.



The most common clusters in the North include the Mexican Volcanic Cordillera—West, the Upper Santiago River Basin, and the Sonoran Desert and Baja California regions. In the south the Yucatan Peninsula, Chiapas Highlands and the Balsas River Basin—West Guerrero were among the top clusters.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Find out more</h6>



23andMe customers see their <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/">Ancestry Composition</a>.&nbsp;



Not yet a customer? Find out more about <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">23andMe’s Ancestry Service and other services</a>.&nbsp;

A map that shows the indigenous Mexican regions.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

23andMe Adds More Detail for Indigenous Mexican Ancestry

23andMe is working on a potential new cancer therapy, an antibody referred to as 23ME-00610 (23ME’610), currently in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial. Results from the Phase 1 portion of the trial <a href="https://investors.23andme.com/news-releases/news-release-details/23andme-announces-phase-1-results-first-human-phase-12a-study">were reported</a> recently at the annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting in Orlando.



The class of drugs referred to as ‘Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors’ are designed to correct and reverse a tactic that some cancers deploy to allow them to grow and spread in the body.&nbsp; Some tumors are able to survive because they hijack what is referred to as an immune checkpoint, to prevent the immune system from recognizing and attacking cancer cells. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors restore the function of key immune checkpoints, helping people with cancer to turn their immune cells back on, so the immune cells can recognize and kill the tumor cells.&nbsp;



23ME’610 is designed to do something similar, by binding to a receptor called CD200R1, which was identified as a promising anti-cancer target by 23andMe scientists studying the 23andMe database. CD200R1 is a cell surface receptor protein that is mostly expressed on human immune cells, specifically cancer-fighting T cells and myeloid cells. Tumor cells can express CD200, the only known binding partner for CD200R1, and use this regulatory protein to turn off the activity of T cells. A drug that blocks the ability of CD200 to bind to CD200R1 may activate T cells and enhance their ability to kill cancer cells.



The Phase 1 portion of the clinical trial evaluated the safety and tolerability of 23ME’610 in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors across a range of different doses. This Phase 1 portion also looked at whether 23ME-00610 bound to the intended target, CD200R1, on immune cells in the blood.



&#8220;We are pleased with the Phase 1 data,&#8221; said Jennifer Low, MD, Ph.D., Head of Therapeutics Development at 23andMe. &#8220;The Phase 2a portion of the study is now underway, and we look forward to further evaluation.&#8221;



In the Phase 1 portion of the study, 23ME’610 demonstrated an acceptable safety profile as well as other criteria including how it is metabolized and eliminated by the body. No dose limiting toxicities or <a href="https://toolkit.ncats.nih.gov/glossary/serious-adverse-event/">serious side effects </a>related to 23ME’610 were observed. The most commonly observed side effects were headache, fatigue, nausea and itching. More immune-related side effects, including hypothyroidism, rashes, fatigue, and chills were observed at higher doses of 23ME’610. The overall findings from Phase 1 support the progression of 23ME’610 to the next phase of clinical development.



In the Phase 2a portion of the trial, researchers are evaluating whether 23ME’610 can reduce tumor size and stop disease progression in patients with different cancer types, using a dose of 1400 mg, given intravenously every three weeks.&nbsp;



You can find additional details about our key results from the study presented at the AACR meeting <a href="https://investors.23andme.com/static-files/11a8206f-1f24-47c7-a64a-fe6b3b443b3a">here</a>.&nbsp;



Learn more about 23andMe&#8217;s Therapeutics along with the work on <a href="https://www.23andme.com/therapeutics/pipeline/23me-00610/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">23ME&#8217;610 here.</a>

An Update on Clinical Trial for 23ME-00610

Have you ever wondered how to get started with 23andMe? 



Check out this interactive game and learn just how easy it is to submit your DNA sample. From selecting your kit to providing your saliva sample and sending it off to our labs to be processed.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-so-easy">It’s so easy!</h6>



<div style="padding-bottom: 56.25%; position: relative; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%;"><iframe src="https://player.adventr.io/index.html?link=https%3A%2F%2Fd252srr1zuysk4.cloudfront.net%2Fclients%2F4475%2F12895%2Fpublished%2F4475-it-s-so-easy-23andme-interactive-game-60365084.data&#038;initial=v2-10-opening-j9hc" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; clipboard-read; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; geolocation; microphone" style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;"></iframe></div>

An image of video for 23andMe it's so easy, that is an interactive game

23andMe, It’s So Easy

23andMe’s new Chief Corporate Development Officer, Reza Afkhami took some time before starting in his new job to chat about his career, joining 23andMe, and his new role cultivating partnerships and collaborations for our therapeutics, research services and consumer divisions.



Reza comes to the job with more than two decades of experience in biotech corporate development. His last role was as the Senior Vice President for Corporate Development and Strategy at Global Blood Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative therapies for treating sickle cell disease. That company was purchased last year by Pfizer.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-31778" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-880x880.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1-980x980.jpg 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2999-1.jpg 1675w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo credit: Jim Block</figcaption></figure>



Before that, Reza was the Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Surrozen. Surrozen is a biotechnology company focused on developing tissue-specific antibodies to create therapies for disease of the intestine, liver, retina, cornea, lung, kidney, cochlea, skin, pancreas, and central nervous system. His long and distinguished career also includes positions overseeing global commercial strategy and planning, other roles leading teams handling business development and market intelligence, as well as managing and supporting partnerships. His work has helped the companies he’s worked for grow from early-stage drug discovery through to fully integrated biotech companies.



Here at 23andMe he’ll lead our business development team, across our therapeutics, research services and consumer groups. Reza will be responsible for spearheading and driving a wide range of industry collaborations for 23andMe.



Here’s a little bit from our discussion with Reza. His responses have been edited for length.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-you-studied-international-economics-at-georgetown-and-received-an-mba-from-uc-berkeley-what-drew-you-to-a-career-in-biotech">1) You studied international economics at Georgetown and received an MBA from UC Berkeley. What drew you to a career in biotech?&nbsp;</h6>



While growing up in France at the end of the Cold War, I was exposed to multiple languages and cultures. Pursuing a career in foreign service would be a natural fit. However, getting exposed to government work and the less appealing aspects of politics at Georgetown changed that. I switched coursework to focus more on economics and finance and pursued internships with businesses rather than institutions.&nbsp;



I started my career in the early 1990s as the internet boom began. I eventually worked with a company that was taken over by a telecom company tied to that tech boom. It wasn’t a great experience, and I left to start an MBA program at UC Berkeley. Soon after I started that program, the company became embroiled in a scandal. Then 9/11 happened, and we had the dot-com bust and recession. I mention that because it changed what I wanted to do and how I looked at internet technology companies. Right then, I stumbled upon biotech, which felt like a breath of fresh air. These were brilliant people doing interesting things, all focused on developing drugs to help cure disease. My first job out of business school was with CV Therapeutics.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">2) What will you be focused on at 23andMe?</h6>



I’ve spent two decades in biotech. The synergy between the consumer business, the research services, and the therapeutics groups attracted me to this position. They each offer the potential to develop different kinds of partnerships, and that’s appealing to me.&nbsp;



There is this potential of augmenting what 23andMe is already doing through collaborations and partnerships, whether on the consumer side by helping consumers get access to the kind of genetic information they can use to better their lives, or on the research side with all these incredible insights, or on the therapeutics side and leveraging all this data to develop new therapies.&nbsp;



The challenge is prioritizing what opportunities will be best for the company and our mission.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">3) Does your new role differ from your past roles and responsibilities, if so how?</h6>



I have experience in B2B transactions, and the key to success is finding ways for both parties to win. When it comes to 23andMe’s consumer products, our research, and our therapeutics development there are different kinds of considerations for collaborations and partnership.&nbsp;



It will be fascinating and challenging. There’s a lot of potential and I think we will make a real difference in people’s lives.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">4) What are you most excited about regarding 23andMe and what our Therapeutics team is doing?</h6>



23andMe&#8217;s unique advantage is our incredible database and our ability to use genetics to identify drug development targets. That&#8217;s very exciting.&nbsp;



Drug development takes a very long time, is expensive, and has a low success rate. The result is a lot of wasted time and money. However, if we start with a target that is validated using genetics, in that case, we have a much better chance for success. Using validation first gives us a better starting point for drug development. Improving the drug development process by even a few percentage points could save billions of dollars and, more importantly, improve the chances of finding new treatments for patients who need them. I&#8217;m excited about that.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">5) You’ve spent a career in biotech and have a good grasp of the industry. Do you think the industry in general realizes that 23andMe is a full biotech company?</h6>



People in the industry don’t know the full extent of what 23andMe is capable of. I think many are even shocked by the size of our therapeutics team and that we’re currently working on so many programs in the preclinical stage. This lack of awareness around our therapeutics work is partly because 23andMe’s consumer brand is so strong that everything else we do is hidden behind that big veil.



There are some challenges there, and even skepticism, but that also presents an opportunity once potential partners and collaborators see what we can actually do.

Meet 23andMe’s New Chief Corporate Development Officer

Editor&#8217;s Note 5/11/23: Since first sharing her story in 2021, Jenn has gone through treatment. She was kind enough to share that with us which was put together in a video by <a href="https://www.freethink.com/sponsored/23andme">Freethink</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The life-changing information in my 23andMe DNA reports" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MlVUbPabrQk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



When she began exploring her 23andMe results, Jenn Ford knew she&#8217;d learn something interesting about herself — her traits or her ancestry.



But she hadn&#8217;t expected to find out something so profoundly important for both her and her family&#8217;s health.



&#8220;I believe that knowledge is power, and the more I know, the more I can do about it,&#8221; she said recently.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-something-unexpected">Something Unexpected</h6>



A long-time customer, Jenn first began using 23andMe in 2016 when she learned that her family&#8217;s ancestry was primarily Italian, French, German, and Lithuanian. However, she was surprised to see that it also included a tiny amount of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, about .2 percent, according to her 23andMe Ancestry Composition report.



It was all fascinating and fun, but nothing unexpected. That changed in 2018 when 23andMe released its BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) Genetic Health Risk Report.*



When it became available, Jenn wanted to take a look at her report. So, she opened it up after opting in to receive the information and going through an educational module about the report.



&#8220;Oh, that&#8217;s strange,&#8221; she said to herself after scanning the report while at a family cookout.



The report indicated she had one of the three variants for which 23andMe tests. She quickly closed her report thinking she&#8217;d spend a little more time looking at it later. But, having spent almost ten years as an Oncology Technician at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Jenn knew this was something she couldn&#8217;t ignore.



&#8220;I have a medical brain, and I can understand what something like this could mean,&#8221; she said.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Turning to a Genetic Counselor</h6>



When she got home, she opened up her report again, and this time carefully read through it all, even rereading portions of it to her husband, Andrew.



23andMe&#8217;s report looks at three selected variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that are most common in people of Ashkenazi ancestry. Females with one of these variants — no matter their ancestry — have a 45-85 percent risk of developing breast cancer by age 70, compared to about 13 percent in the general population. In addition, having one of these variants increases the risk of developing ovarian and pancreatic cancer in females. It can also increase the risk of developing male breast cancer, pancreatic and prostate cancer in men.



At first, she wondered if there could have been a mistake. Then she thought a bit about her family&#8217;s health history. On her mother&#8217;s side, her relatives were all reasonably healthy. On her dad&#8217;s side, however, cancer has stalked generations. So even though her Ashkenazi ancestry was very, very small, she wondered if this variant that is more common in people of Ashkenazi ancestry may have been passed to her from her father’s side of the family. Jenn then called a friend who works in oncology. She ran through her report and got an almost immediate reaction.



&#8216;&#8221;Oh my God, you need to see a genetic counselor,&#8221;&#8216; Jenn recalls her saying.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Waiting</h6>



Living not far from one of the world&#8217;s premier cancer centers, Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, she reached out to make an appointment to see a doctor and a genetic counselor.



&#8220;It was the longest five weeks, ever,&#8221; Jenn said.



At her appointment, the first reaction from her doctors at Dana Farber was surprised that 23andMe tested for these three selected variants. Next, after confirming her result, the doctors told Jenn that having one of these variants significantly elevated her risk for breast and ovarian cancer. They then started helping her to better understand what that risk meant, and what options she might consider. Finally, they sent her to see the gynecological oncologist, who estimated her risk of developing cancer was likely more than 75 percent, she said.



The next question was what to do about it. One approach would be to wait, have regular and more frequent medical screening for breast cancer, and to consider ovarian cancer screening. She was also told that every six months she would need to undergo testing in order to make sure that her scans were clean and she was cancer-free. That was something Jenn and her husband did not want to go through as a family, testing and waiting every six months. Another approach was prophylactic surgery to remove her breasts, ovaries, and fallopian tubes, significantly reducing the risk.



&#8220;I was 35, we had our two girls, and I knew I was done having children,&#8217; she said. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t want to deal with living with this risk and just waiting.&#8221;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Taking Action</h6>



She decided on preventative surgery and wanted to move quickly.



&#8220;I just knew I was going to have to get surgery,&#8221; she said.



It wasn&#8217;t easy. It required several different surgeries for removal and reconstruction and all the time for recovery. And just as Jenn had very quickly understood how important this information was to her, she also understood that it was also crucial for her family. Her result didn&#8217;t just trigger a conversation with her doctor. It also started discussions with her adult family members. Jenn knew that the same genetic variant that put her at a higher risk of developing cancer might impact them. She thought of her two young daughters and that they had a 50 percent chance of inheriting the risk variant. It would be something they would need to know about when they were adults, Jenn said. She also thought about her other relatives and how this genetic risk might explain cancer and the deaths of many women in her family, she thought.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">The Cascade Effect</h6>



There&#8217;s something called the cascade effect. It refers to a chain of events that unfold from one initial action, something that&#8217;s often unforeseen. So often, people think of this negatively, as in the collapse of a building or a stock market crash. But there are also positive cascades, a chain of events that trigger positive outcomes from one person to the next.



Several years ago, 23andMe researchers did <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/8/">a small study</a> about how people responded to learning of an unexpected genetic health risk for cancer via their 23andMe report. That study found that those who learned they carried a BRCA risk variant generally took appropriate actions. For example, they talked to their doctors and shared their results with family members. The study showed that the result created a &#8220;cascade effect&#8221; that benefited relatives who might not know of the family risk for these hereditary cancers.



Jenn&#8217;s 23andMe story is a little like that.



&#8220;I have always known that certain cancers were prevalent in my dad&#8217;s family, but no one had received any genetic testing until this point. Which now, in retrospect, blows me away,&#8221; she said.



After she talked to her parents about her results, her dad got a genetic test ordered by his doctor. He, too, had the risk variant, confirming that it came from his side of the family. Last year, a little more than two years later, he learned through screening that he had prostate cancer. He had surgery and, to date, remains cancer-free.



&#8220;If I had not used 23andMe, I would not have taken the steps that I have taken to ensure that I live a long and healthy life,&#8221; Jenn said. &#8220;My Dad would likely not have found his prostate cancer until it was too late. Thank you, 23andMe.&#8221;



Learn more about the BRCA gene and its role in some cancers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.23andme.com/brca/">here</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Note:</h6>



*23andMe health predisposition reports include both reports that meet FDA requirements for genetic health risks and reports which are based on 23andMe research and have not been reviewed by the FDA. The test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. 



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Warnings &amp; Limitations:</h6>



 The 23andMe PGS Genetic Health Risk Report for BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) is indicated for reporting of the 185delAG and 5382insC variants in the BRCA1 gene and the 6174delT variant in the BRCA2 gene. The report describes if a woman is at increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, and if a man is at increased risk of developing breast cancer or may be at increased risk of developing prostate cancer. The three variants included in this report are most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and do not represent the majority of BRCA1/BRCA2 variants in the general population. This report does not include variants in other genes linked to hereditary cancers and the absence of variants included in this report does not rule out the presence of other genetic variants that may impact cancer risk. The PGS test is not a substitute for visits to a healthcare professional for recommended screenings or appropriate follow-up. Results should be confirmed in a clinical setting before taking any medical action. For important information and limitations regarding each genetic health risk report, visit <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">23andme.com/test-info/</a>.

Taking Action for Health, A BRCA Story

May is <a href="https://www.lupus.org/lupus-awareness-month">Lupus Awareness Month</a>, and this month we’ve released a new report on lupus that is powered by 23andMe research and available for <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+</a> members.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lupus-Logo.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22692" width="286" height="283" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lupus-Logo.jpg 572w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lupus-Logo-300x296.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 286px) 100vw, 286px" /></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-about-the-lupus-report">About the Lupus Report</h6>



23andMe’s new Lupus Report is powered by data from people who have consented to participate in 23andMe research. The report uses machine learning techniques to estimate an individual’s likelihood of being diagnosed with lupus.



The estimate is made using a statistical model that includes more than 1,900 genetic markers and information on an individual’s ethnicity and sex assigned at birth. You can learn more about the science and methodology behind our new report in this <a href="https://permalinks.23andme.com/pdf/23_21-PRSMethodology_May2020.pdf">white paper</a>.



Note that 23andMe’s genetic report on lupus can provide users with helpful information on their estimated genetic likelihood of being diagnosed with the condition. Still, it is not a substitute for clinical diagnosis and treatment.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">What is lupus?</h6>



<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/lupus/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lupus is a group of autoimmune conditions</a> that can occur in several forms, ranging from a minor rash to severe disease that can affect multiple organs in the body. While there are several types of lupus, the most common is called “systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).” 



Symptoms typically come and go throughout life in flares, but lupus can have serious health consequences if left untreated. Common symptoms include fatigue and muscle and joint pain. In addition, some of those with lupus may experience symptoms like periodic fevers, skin lesions, or a butterfly-shaped rash on the face.&nbsp;



One of the many confounding aspects of the disease is that it can impact almost any part of the body — the skin, joints, or various organs like the heart or the lungs. In addition, the parts of the body affected by lupus can be different between people and have different symptoms associated with them. This wide range of symptoms, and the fact that those symptoms can change over time, make diagnosing the disease challenging.&nbsp;



Like many autoimmune diseases, lupus impacts females at a higher rate than males — nine out of ten people diagnosed with lupus are female.† And among women, it is women of color who are disproportionately impacted. Black, Latina, and Asian women are two to three times more likely to develop lupus than white women, according to the<a href="https://www.lupus.org/resources/lupus-facts-and-statistics"> Lupus Foundation of America</a>.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">What causes lupus?</h6>



Although the cause of lupus is not yet fully understood, researchers believe that a mix of genetics and environmental factors trigger an overactive immune (or &#8220;autoimmune&#8221;) response. It’s that autoimmune response that can result in damage to the body.&nbsp;



For those with lupus, certain non-genetic factors can trigger flares of disease symptoms. These include viral infections, certain medications, sunlight, and stress.&nbsp;



Scientists have identified dozens of genes associated with an increased likelihood of developing the disease. These genes are involved in various immune system functions, including the production of antibodies, the regulation of inflammation, and the clearance of immune complexes.



A <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/new-insights-from-lupus-research/">four-year study</a> by 23andMe and Pfizer of about 6,000 people with lupus found that about 28 percent of those who participated also had a parent, child, or sibling with lupus. Additionally, we learned that among participants in our study, more than three-quarters reported joint and muscle pain.&nbsp;



However, we also learned that the impact of living with lupus went beyond just those symptoms; many of those participating in our study reported other health impacts. For instance, people with lupus participating in our study were four times more likely to have major depression compared to research participants without the condition. We also found that 44 percent of those in our study reported having high blood pressure.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Find Out More</h6>



23andMe+ members can click <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/prs.lupus/">here</a> if they wish to view their report.



Current 23andMe Health + Ancestry Service customers on the current genotyping chip can receive this report along with 35+ other reports by joining 23andMe+ from within their account. Learn more<a href="https://you.23andme.com/subscription/"> here</a>.



Not a 23andMe+ customer yet? Learn more about what 23andMe has to offer <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">here</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



†Within this blog post and the Lupus Report, we use the word “male” to refer to people whose birth sex is male and “female” to refer to people whose sex assigned at birth is female. However, we recognize that being categorized by sex assigned at birth may be an uncomfortable experience for some people, and we do not mean to delegitimize anyone’s gender identity. Learn more about why we made this decision in this <a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010964373-How-23andMe-Uses-Your-Self-Reported-Sex-and-Gender%20Show%20less">help article.</a>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Read More Posts on Lupus Research</h6>



• <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/new-insights-from-lupus-research">New Insights from Lupus Research</a>



• <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/living-with-lupus">Living with Lupus</a>

An image of a 23andMe+ New Report Release for Lupus.

23andMe’s New Lupus Report

Not many Mother&#8217;s Day stories revolve around cancer, but for Kenzie Pinck and her mom Shannon, the battle against cancer is a through-line that bonds mother and daughter.



During Kenzie&#8217;s early teens, she spent weeks at her mom&#8217;s side caring for her after surgery and chemotherapy for treatments related to follicular lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. The experience changed them both, bringing them even closer than they already were.&nbsp;



&#8220;I spent my 16th birthday in a tiara in the waiting room while my mom had surgery,&#8221; Kenzie said.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1011" height="1024" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image0-1-1011x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-31684" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image0-1-1011x1024.jpeg 1011w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image0-1-296x300.jpeg 296w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image0-1-768x778.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image0-1-869x880.jpeg 869w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image0-1-1165x1180.jpeg 1165w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image0-1.jpeg 1170w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1011px) 100vw, 1011px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photos of Shannon recovering from cancer treatment with Kenzie at her side. Image in upper left was taken on Kenzie&#8217;s 16th birthday.</figcaption></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-time-it-s-different">This Time It&#8217;s Different</h6>



Caring for her mom during that time, being her advocate, and connecting with other patients at the hospital helped nudge Kenzie toward medicine. Now a decade later, she&#8217;s a nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit. But the experience also taught both women how important it is to educate yourself about your health risks, to be proactive about your well-being, and to advocate for yourself to ensure you get the care you need.&nbsp;



Seven years ago, Shannon&#8217;s cancer went into remission. She and Kenzie felt the relief of dodging a bullet and a new appreciation for what is important in this life.



But now, mother and daughter are again facing the threat of cancer. This time, however, it&#8217;s different.&nbsp;



&#8220;This is something I can tackle,&#8221; Kenzie said.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">A Founder Variant</h6>



Last year Kenzie learned from her <a href="https://www.23andme.com/brca/">23andMe BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) Genetic Health Risk Report</a>* that she had a BRCA1 variant that put her at a much higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer. 



Although there are more than 1,000 BRCA variants known to increase cancer risk, the report only looks at three variants. The three so-called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7203114/">&#8216;founder variants&#8217;</a> are much more common among people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. 



Whereas one in 200-400 people in the general population carries a BRCA variant, about<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/young_women/bringyourbrave/hereditary_breast_cancer/jewish_women_brca.htm"> one in 40</a> people of Ashkenazi descent has one of the three variants included in 23andMe&#8217;s report. Women with one of these variants have a 45-85 percent chance of developing breast cancer and up to a 46 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer by age 70. 



Men with a BRCA variant have an increased risk for male breast cancer and may have an increased risk for prostate cancer. The risk for certain other cancers may also be higher. (Here&#8217;s more about <a href="https://www.23andme.com/brca/">BRCA</a>.)



While Kenzie and Shannon knew they had Jewish ancestry, they weren&#8217;t aware of the role ancestry plays in the risk for some health conditions. Because they didn&#8217;t have a family history of breast cancer, or at least not that they knew, they never suspected that they might have one of the variants that carry a risk. None of their doctors suggested screening.&nbsp;



&#8220;I would have never been tested for it earlier,&#8221; said Kenzie, adding that if not for 23andMe, she and her mom might never have known that they carried this risk until it was too late.



Kenzie&#8217;s first call after seeing her report was to her mom. She wanted to know if Shannon knew about the variants in the BRCA gene that some people carry that put them at a higher risk for cancer.



&#8220;I asked her if she&#8217;d heard about it and if she or anyone in our family had tested before, and she said no.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image4-768x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-31683" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image4-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image4-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image4-660x880.jpeg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image4-885x1180.jpeg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image4.jpeg 1160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kenzie, left, with her mom Shannon after completing nursing school.</figcaption></figure>



IF THAT&#8217;S WHAT I HAVE TO DO



Their experience is surprisingly common. In a study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-63466-x">Scientific Reports</a>, 23andMe researchers found that many people with a BRCA variant are likely slipping through the cracks under current testing criteria. Another study by<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2703131"> researchers at Geisinger</a> reported that more than 80 percent of people with a BRCA variant did not know they had one.



Shannon and Kenzie said 23andMe&#8217;s report and the tutorial part of that report spurred them into action. Because of her cancer history, Shannon made an appointment with her oncologist, where she shared the news about Kenzie&#8217;s report. She was referred to a genetic counselor, who immediately set Shannon up for genetic testing. In addition, the genetic counselor suggested Kenzie immediately talk to her doctor to get follow-up testing.&nbsp;



So, Kenzie shared her results with her primary care physician.



&#8220;That conversation didn&#8217;t go well,&#8221; Kenzie said.



In her and her mom&#8217;s journey, that was the only encounter with a healthcare professional that went poorly. Even with all the knowledge she has as a nurse and her experience with her mom&#8217;s cancer, like many people, Kenzie said navigating her own healthcare isn&#8217;t easy. She was looking for insights and advice from her doctor but got something else.



&#8220;I prefer that people don&#8217;t know these results,&#8221; he told her. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know why you tested yourself.&#8221;



Kenzie said her jaw dropped when he said: &#8220;What are you going to do, cut off your breasts at 27?&#8221;



&#8220;I said, &#8216;Maybe, if that&#8217;s what I have to do.'&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_3604-683x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-31685" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_3604-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_3604-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_3604-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_3604-587x880.jpeg 587w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_3604-787x1180.jpeg 787w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_3604-scaled.jpeg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kenzie, left, with her mom Shannon.</figcaption></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Advocating for Yourself</h6>



That encounter with her doctor was shocking. His reaction felt like it was from a different era, but it was also a clarifying moment for Kenzie.&nbsp;



&#8220;I know how to stand up to a doctor and advocate for myself,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It scares me for all of the people who don&#8217;t know how to do that. Even with my knowledge and background, it was difficult for me, and I think about all the women who don&#8217;t know how to protect themselves.&#8221;



For Kenzie, this is information about a risk that she could do something about. So why wouldn&#8217;t she want to know?



Her doctor begrudgingly referred her to an oncologist. That interaction couldn&#8217;t have been more different. The oncologist asked her about her health history, lifestyle, and family&#8217;s health history.



&#8220;My doctor never asked me any of those questions,&#8221; Kenzie said.



All that information factors into her risk. For Kenzie, it reminded her of everything she controls and all the avenues she had to potentially lessen her odds of developing cancer. Almost immediately, she stopped drinking even though she never drank much alcohol. She focused on improving her diet, eating more vegetables and fruit and buying organic. She’s exercising more, and focusing more on reducing stress in her life. After talking to her doctor she also stopped using hormonal birth control because it’s been shown to <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004188">increase the risk for breast cancer</a> in some women.



A CASCADE



While she was doing that, Kenzie also got confirmatory testing done. She indeed had the variant in BRCA1 that put her at higher risk. Meanwhile, her mom&#8217;s testing also came back positive. So both mother and daughter carry the variant in the BRCA1 gene that puts them at higher risk.



While they navigated more tests and decisions on what to do next, both women realized this information was vital to share with the rest of their family. They&#8217;d already talked to Kenzie&#8217;s older brother, Alex, about it. Men can also carry this risk variant, and the associated increased risk for some cancers. And they, in turn, can pass it on to their children. It turns out Alex also carries the variant. He is following up with his primary care doctor, but said he’s more worried about his mom and his sister.



In addition, Shannon talked to other close family members.&nbsp;



&#8220;Almost everyone tested positive,&#8221; Shannon said.



They&#8217;re each taking action to mitigate their risk.&nbsp;



In genetics, these kinds of family conversations are sometimes called the &#8220;cascade effect&#8221; of testing. It refers to the positive cascade of events triggered within families after someone learns of an inherited risk like this.&nbsp;



Several years ago, 23andMe researchers did <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/8/">a small study</a> on how people responded to learning of an unexpected genetic health risk for cancer via their 23andMe report. That study found that those who learned they carried a BRCA risk variant usually took appropriate actions. Like Shannon and Kenzie, they talked to their doctors and shared their results with family members. The study showed that the result created a &#8220;cascade effect&#8221; that benefited relatives who might not know of the family risk for these hereditary cancers.



&#8220;It was important to share that information,&#8221; said Shannon.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Kenzie-and-Alex-1024x768.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-31687" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Kenzie-and-Alex-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Kenzie-and-Alex-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Kenzie-and-Alex-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Kenzie-and-Alex-880x660.jpeg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Kenzie-and-Alex-1180x885.jpeg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Kenzie-and-Alex.jpeg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kenzie, left, and her brother Alex.</figcaption></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Ticking time bombs</h6>



While both Shannon and Kenzie carry the same variant that puts them at risk, they are also at different stages of their lives, so their choices are different.



Kenzie isn&#8217;t yet 30, doesn&#8217;t have children, and is single. So for her, doing more frequent tests and scans makes more sense. In her head, the age 35 is a marker. It gives her more time to decide if she wants to have children, whether and when to get a mastectomy, or whether to remove her fallopian tubes and both of her ovaries.&nbsp;



The choices for her mom, who is in her 50s and has already had her children, are hard but more straightforward. She’d already gone through cancer once before; she didn’t want to again. In addition, because her cancer is in remission it could always come back. Her nightmare would have been to battle two different cancers at the same time.&nbsp;



Although she had a hysterectomy during her previous cancer surgeries, her ovaries were not removed at the time.&nbsp; Shannon decided to have her ovaries removed after seeing her oncologist. He told her that the ovaries &#8220;had to go. They&#8217;re like ticking time bombs.&#8221;



She recently had surgery to remove them, and is scheduled for her mastectomy after Mother’s Day.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">If That&#8217;s What I Have to Do</h6>



Shannon believes Kenzie saved her life. 



This whole experience has altered both Kenzie and Shannon’s perspectives. Shannon said she recently decided that she wouldn&#8217;t undergo breast reconstruction surgery after her mastectomy; that seemed so much less important to her now.&nbsp;



For her daughter, who always assumed she&#8217;d one day have children, the idea that she might not didn&#8217;t feel like such a radical one anymore. But she has time to decide.&nbsp;



For both women, their experience is a testament that knowledge is power.



&#8220;I think for me, how quickly we were able to move through this process to take control, that&#8217;s powerful,&#8221; said Shannon. &#8220;When I feel a little deflated or sad that Kenzie has this (risk), I worry about her; Kenzie reminds me of how blessed we are to have this knowledge. Look at what we&#8217;ve been able to do, not to get breast cancer. It&#8217;s an inspiration.&#8221;



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-note">Note</h6>



*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks and reporting carrier status. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. 



The test is&nbsp;not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child&#8217;s risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Warnings &amp; Limitations </h6>



The 23andMe PGS Genetic Health Risk Report for BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) is indicated for reporting of the 185delAG and 5382insC variants in the BRCA1 gene and the 6174delT variant in the BRCA2 gene. The report describes if a woman is at increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, and if a man is at increased risk of developing breast cancer or may be at increased risk of developing prostate cancer. The three variants included in this report are most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and do not represent the majority of BRCA1/BRCA2 variants in the general population. 



This report does not include variants in other genes linked to hereditary cancers and the absence of variants included in this report does not rule out the presence of other genetic variants that may impact cancer risk. The PGS test is not a substitute for visits to a healthcare professional for recommended screenings or appropriate follow-up.&nbsp; Results should be confirmed in a clinical setting before taking any medical action. For important information and limitations regarding other genetic health risk reports and carrier status reports, visit&nbsp; <a href="http://www.23andme.com/test-info">www.23andme.com/test-info</a>.&nbsp;

Kenzie, left, with her mom Shannon after completing nursing school.

A Mother and Daughter’s Fight Against Cancer

The following opinion piece originally appeared on <a href="https://fortune.com/2023/04/25/human-genome-revealed-secrets-20-years-fulfill-promise-personalized-health-care-anne-wojcicki/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fortune.com</a>.



By Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe CEO and Co-founder



Sequencing the human genome for the first time was an incredible feat. Twenty years ago this week, the sequencing project was completed with the promise that it would transform how we predict, prevent, and treat almost all human disease.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-852x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22084" width="426" height="512" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-852x1024.jpg 852w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-250x300.jpg 250w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-768x923.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-732x880.jpg 732w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anne_Color_-Seated-982x1180.jpg 982w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 426px) 100vw, 426px" /></figure>



With such an important&nbsp;<a href="https://fortune.com/company/discovery-insurance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discovery</a>&nbsp;under our belt, one would believe we are now on the cusp of a new phase in personalized healthcare, one that uses genetics to inform every patient journey. Yet, we are still far from the delivery of personalized healthcare for everyone. The problem is not a lack of scientific progress, but rather a failure to implement widespread genetic testing and personalized medicine for all who could benefit from it.



There are meaningful genetic risk markers identified for hundreds of important health conditions. Increasingly, we know that common and serious health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, have both genetic and environmental influences. Using models that combine up to thousands of genetic variants, we can identify who is at highest risk for disease, and use that knowledge to guide healthcare and lifestyle decisions to help prevent the disease or find it earlier.



Today, there aren’t clear guidelines for how to use genetic information in preventive health and most healthcare professionals are not yet equipped to bring genetic testing into routine practice.



Even for conditions where there&nbsp;are&nbsp;clear guidelines, like those influenced by specific variants in well-known genes, we don’t do a great job of identifying the people who would benefit from genetic testing and personalized management.



People with&nbsp;BRCA1&nbsp;and&nbsp;BRCA2&nbsp;genetic variants carry a substantially higher risk for breast, ovarian, and other cancers, yet a&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2703131" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;by researchers at Geisinger reported that more than 80% of people with a&nbsp;BRCA1/2&nbsp;variant did not know they have one. Current guidelines for clinical genetic testing and reimbursement typically rely on patients having a personal or family history of cancer or knowing their ancestral background (since some populations, including those of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, are at higher risk). We now know that almost half the people with genetic variants in&nbsp;BRCA1/2&nbsp;don’t qualify for testing based on these guidelines,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7203114/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sometimes because they don’t know their ancestry</a>, which suggests that broader access to genetic testing is needed.



In some cases, there may be opportunities for broader access to genetic testing to help address existing health disparities. For example, we know that a variant in a gene called&nbsp;TTR&nbsp;is common in people of West African descent and increases risk for heart failure. In fact,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-and-personalized-healthcare/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">approximately 10% of African Americans over the age of 60 with congestive heart failure are thought to have this variant</a>, but most never know they have it. With new targeted therapies entering the market at a rapid pace, it becomes increasingly important to find the right people who would benefit most from treatment early on.



Genetic testing already plays an important role in guiding medications we use to treat common conditions. As far back as 2007,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2799123/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the FDA added labeling to the anticoagulant Warfarin</a>&nbsp;noting the importance of genetic factors in how a patient would respond. In 2010,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/fda-drug-safety-communication-reduced-effectiveness-plavix-clopidogrel-patients-who-are-poor#:~:text=%5B03%2D12%2D2010%5D,full%20benefits%20of%20the%20drug." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the FDA added black-box labeling to another anti-blood-clotting medication, Clopidogrel</a>, noting the importance of a person’s genetics in how a patient would metabolize the drug.&nbsp;Several states even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.genomeweb.com/diagnostics/lawsuit-hawaii-against-plavix-sponsors-alleges-burden-pharma-market-pgx-information#.ZEbC8-zML0p" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sued</a>&nbsp;the manufacturer of Clopidogrel, citing that significant percentages of their populations did not respond to the medication.&nbsp;



Antidepressants and statins (cholesterol-lowering medications) taken by millions of people are also influenced by differences in genetics. Some of the warnings for dozens and dozens of<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/science-and-research-drugs/table-pharmacogenomic-biomarkers-drug-labeling" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;commonly prescribed medications</a>&nbsp;note that genetics can play a role in whether a patient will or will not respond well to that drug, or even have an adverse reaction, but very few patients are ever tested prior to prescribing. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01841-4/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;showed that patients could experience 30%fewer serious adverse reactions if their medications were tailored to their genes. Despite overwhelming evidence that genetic testing is key to improving the way medication is prescribed, only in rare instances are patients tested first to see how they might respond to a medication before it is prescribed.



We have an incredible opportunity to leverage genetic testing and transform how we predict, prevent, and treat many diseases.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8629298/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tens of millions of consumers have purchased and taken a DNA test</a>. Consumer demand is there. Doctors are also ready for this information. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-and-personalized-healthcare/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">survey</a>&nbsp;we conducted along with Medscape found that two-thirds of doctors feel using genetic testing could lead to better outcomes for their patients and over 90% say genetics are an important part of a patient’s complete health picture.



As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the sequencing of the human genome, it’s important for consumers, healthcare professionals, and healthcare industry leaders to recognize the potential we all have with the adoption and integration of genetic data into routine healthcare. Ushering in more personalized healthcare is within our reach today.

Anne Wojcicki

It’s time to fulfill its promise of personalized health care

This week we celebrate<a href="http://www.genome.gov/10506367"> National DNA Day</a>!



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Every day at 23andMe is DNA Day really, but this day, in particular, is special because it marks the 20th anniversary of the mapping of the human genome. It also marks the 70th anniversary of the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. So it’s a twofer anniversary.



There’s a lot planned this year. Along with some fun 23andMe will be having in Times Square in New York (check out our <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrbRj7At2Dz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a> for the full schedule and to see some of the fun), 23andMe is also participating in a symposium sponsored by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). There’s also a nifty map that the NHGRI put together listing other events in the US and around the world you can check out here.



The NHGRI symposium will feature a number of leading experts in the field of genetics, including Francis Collins, the former director of the NHGRI. Collins will deliver a talk on the history of genetic science and its future. Other speakers will include current NHGRI director, Eric Green, and Joyce Tung, Ph.D., Vice President of Research at 23andMe.



The symposium is free, open to the public, and will be held virtually on April 25, 2023. To register, please visit the NHGRI website. To attend the conference virtually, go here.



We hope you will join us in celebrating National DNA Day! This is an important opportunity to learn more about our genes and how they impact our health. It is also a chance to celebrate the progress that has been made in genetic research and to look forward to the future of this field.



Happy DNA Day everybody!

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