Is Forensic Use of Genetic Databases Ethical?

| March 25, 2023

Millions of Americans have submitted their DNA through direct-to-consumer (DTC) DNA test companies such as Ancestry or 23andMe. These can help them fill in their family trees or locate long-lost relatives. Some test kits claim to give you answers for how to lose weight or predict future diseases.

These DTC DNA tests seem harmless, but there’s not much known about the storage of your genetic information. Some DTC companies are known to sell information to pharmaceutical companies and allow forensics to access their databases to solve crimes.

It’s no wonder that police departments want to access these extensive databases. In many instances, genetic databases have been used to solve cold cases–some of them decades old. They can also be used for current crimes and can help bring swift justice.

Some people praise the advancement of genetic databases in the fight against crime. However, others question the ethics of the issue.

When law enforcement looks through a genetic database, they investigate millions who they know could not have committed a crime. Your genetic information is viewed over and over again. There have even been instances where individuals have been falsely accused of a crime, and this causes extensive problems in legal fees and inconvenience or trauma for the individual.

If you want genetic information without worrying that your DNA will fall into the wrong hands, trust DNA Paternity Testing.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity, and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

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The New Way to Fight Cancer: Artificial DNA

Gel Manicures Can Cause DNA Damage

| March 11, 2023

If you frequent the nail salon and get a fresh gel manicure, you might want to re-think your nail treatment.

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications has found that radiation from nail dryers can cause DNA to mutate and proliferate cancer-causing cells.

We all know the correlation between tanning beds and skin cancer. Dr. Julia Curtis argues, “Tanning beds are listed as carcinogenic, and UV nail lamps are mini tanning beds for your nails in order to cure the gel nail.”

Since nail dryers only contact a small area of your body, it’s easy to think nail dryers are relatively safe. However, Dr. Curtis continues, “The findings contribute to data already published regarding the harmful effects of (ultraviolet) radiation and show direct cell death and damage to tissue that can lead to skin cancer.”

Even though it may seem insignificant, nail dryers can alter your DNA to produce cancer cells.

Luckily, there are ways to reduce your exposure to UV light from nail dryers:

  • Apply a zinc/titanium sunscreen on your fingertips and around your nail beds before your appointment
  • Wear UV gloves and cut off the fingertips
  • Try a different manicure, such as nail wraps or a regular manicure
  • Find a salon that uses LED nail dryers instead of UV nail dryers

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity, and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

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How to Protect Your Genetic Information

Missing Florida Woman Identified Using DNA 37 Years Later

| February 25, 2023

DNA testing has many beneficial purposes. You can discover your family tree, heritage, migration patterns, and more. It can also be used in forensics, either to convict or exonerate suspects in a criminal case.

Another beneficial use for DNA testing is identifying missing persons. When DNA is used for a living person, there is often a heartwarming reunification story. When DNA is used for a deceased person, the state’s bureau of investigation can solve cold cases, and families have a sense of closure.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation closed a cold case recently–one that was open for 37 years.

The Floridian woman went missing in Seminole County, Florida, in the mid-80s. She was found injured with blunt trauma to the head and unconscious on the side of a highway near Newton, Georgia. She later died at a nearby hospital.

In 2012, the woman’s body was exhumed from her grave. New DNA tests were done in 2022, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was able to identify her as Mary Anga “Angie” Cowan. GBI agents obtained genetic data from one of Cowan’s children to confirm the identification.

The report didn’t state if Cowan was targeted or if the blunt trauma to the head was accidental. There may be more investigation into her cause of death, but the DNA test was successful in identifying Cowan.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity, and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

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How to Protect Your Genetic Information

The New Way to Fight Cancer: Artificial DNA

| February 11, 2023

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were 1,752,735 new cancer cases reported in the U.S. alone in 2019, with 599,589 people dying of cancer. For every 100,000 people, 439 new cancer cases were reported for every 100,000 people, with 146 people dying of cancer.

With such a high cancer incidence, scientists are scrambling to find new treatment options.

Now, the University of Tokyo believes they have a promising new solution: using artificial DNA.

The scientific team has tested their artificial DNA on cervical, breast, and malignant melanoma cancer cells in mice. So far, the team has been very effective in its approach.

Scientists artificially manufactured DNA shaped like hairpins to specifically target cancer cells. These are injected into cancer cells and attach to microRNA (miRNA) molecules that are overproducing in cancer cells. This activates a higher immune response than other cancer treatment methods.

Amazingly, the method both eliminated the cancer cells and prevented cancerous growth.

According to the team, “The results of this study are good news for doctors, drug discovery researchers, and cancer patients, as we believe it will give them new options for drug development and medication policies. Next, we will aim for drug discovery based on the results of this research, and examine in detail the drug efficacy, toxicity, and potential administration methods.”

This technology has a long way to go in development, but it is a promising new method that could save millions of lives in the future.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity, and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

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How to Protect Your Genetic Information

What Is DNA?

| January 28, 2023

At DNA Paternity Testing, we talk a lot about DNA! But after high school biology class, genetic code is something we quickly forget about. To understand the importance of protecting your DNA, you have to know what your genetic code is and why it matters. So here’s a brief refresher on DNA and genes.

What Is DNA?

DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA harbors your genetic code, and it is found in every cell in your body. Most of your DNA is located inside your cells’ nuclei.

Information is stored in DNA through a code using four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). A pairs with T and C pairs with G; these are called base pairs.

Each base pair is attached to a sugar molecule and a phosphate molecule, and then arranged into the recognizable double helix.

What Is a Gene?

Genes are made from DNA and pass down hereditary traits. Some genes code for proteins that perform different functions in the body, while others do not.

At conception, the fertilized egg takes on one pair of genes from the mother and one pair of genes from the father. Many factors play into which genes are expressed, such as living environment, diet and nutrition, and toxic exposures.

DNA and genetic sequencing is very complex, and scientists are still studying how genes pass on information. While there is still much to learn about genetic traits, luckily, parentage and ancestry is established and accurate.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity, and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

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How to Protect Your Genetic Information

Glioma Tumor Markers Found in DNA

| January 14, 2023

Gliomas are a formation of cells that grow in the brain or spinal cord. As they grow, they can press on areas of the brain and cause various symptoms. These symptoms depend on the glioma’s location in the brain.

Gliomas are not necessarily cancerous; some gliomas grow slowly and aren’t malignant. However, several gliomas are fast-growing and malignant, taking over healthy brain tissue. Non-malignant and malignant gliomas can affect adults and children, and gliomas can pass from parents to children.

Like every cancer, early detection is key to successful treatment. Late-stage gliomas are usually untreatable, while early detection can mean better and more effective treatment options.

However, gliomas are currently only detected through MRI and biopsy, which are costly, invasive, and potentially dangerous. Scientists must develop a better method to test for gliomas and potentially save thousands of lives.

Now, neurosurgeons at RUDN University have discovered potential glioma markers in DNA. These markers are located in microRNA, which are small sequences of nucleotides.

Genetic testing is an up-and-coming test method. The next step is for RUDN University researchers to conduct research on large samples and acquire data.

There is currently no test for gliomas–but that could change very soon! In the meantime, contact your physician if you have a family history of gliomas and have these symptoms:

  • Headache, particularly in the morning.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Confusion or a decline in brain function.
  • Memory loss.
  • Personality changes or irritability.
  • Vision problems.
  • Speech difficulties.
  • Seizures.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity, and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

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Should You Submit a DNA Test Kit This Christmas?

| December 24, 2022

If you’re one of the thousands of people to receive a DNA test kit this Christmas, you have an important decision to make.

There are many genetic tests available, such as finding your immediate or distant ancestry, your genetic predispositions to certain health conditions, or what diets might be most effective for your genes.

While these promise fun trivia, there are many considerations to weigh before submitting your genetic code. Here are just a few.

Sacrificing Anonymity

Once you submit your DNA, you lose control over your genetic privacy. The genetic company now owns your genetic information. Many of these companies have stipulations to sell your genetic information to pharmaceutical or health companies.

Putting Your Family at Risk

Additionally, your known (or unknown) relatives gradually lose their privacy. As more people submit their DNA, companies or forensics are able to fill in the blanks to connect relatives to each other. While this may seem like a good thing, the right to privacy is ultimately lost.

Ownership Change

Like any other company, genetic companies are bought, sold, or can go out of business. When this happens, your genetic information can change ownership. There is no guarantee how your DNA will be handled. Even if the original company guaranteed privacy, a new company can sell and exploit your genetic information.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity, and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

What’s Next

How to Protect Your Genetic Information

Abducted Toddler Reunited With Family 51 Years Later

| December 10, 2022
Perhaps you’ve seen the viral video of the Highsmith family reuniting with their long-lost daughter, Melissa, over Thanksgiving. The family calls it their Christmas miracle.

Melissa Highsmith was just 22 months old when her babysitter abducted her. Melissa’s mother, Alta Apantenco, was a single mother at the time. She was working full-time to provide for herself and Melissa, and Alta needed a babysitter. Alta contacted a babysitter she had never met to watch Melissa, and Alta was at work when the unthinkable happened.

Alta’s roommate answered the door for the babysitter, who took Melissa and disappeared.

Distraught, Alta filed a missing person report with the police, but shockingly, the police stated they hoped whoever had Melissa was taking good care of her. Unfortunately, Melissa reports that she grew up in a very abusive home, and she ran away to “work on the streets” at age fifteen.

Alta and her family never gave up looking for Melissa. Finally, 51 years later, DNA testing led the family back together.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, Melissa–who currently goes by Melanie Brown–could hug all her family: her father, mother, and siblings. They are all overwhelmed with joy. Melanie is considering changing her name back to Melissa.

Astoundingly, Melissa grew up just 10 minutes from the apartment where she was taken.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity, and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

What’s Next

Is My DNA Safe?

Genetics: Why COVID-19 Is Worse for Some

| November 26, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has been unpredictable from the beginning.

It didn’t take long to notice that some people were more susceptible to the virus than others. While there were many cases in which those with pre-existing conditions were hit hard by the virus, thousands of cases in which seemingly-healthy individuals were deathly ill, and those with pre-existing conditions sailed through unphased.

How is this possible? How could young, healthy individuals be more impacted by the virus than at-risk individuals?

Science is discovering that genetics could be at play. For instance, studies have found:

  • Some genes provide protection against COVID-19, while others increase the risk of susceptibility
  • Those with O-type blood have better protection against COVID-19, but scientists aren’t sure why
  • Individuals with a gene called toll-like receptor 7, or TLR, are more likely to get severe COVID-19

While science has made many advances, genetic tests to determine your susceptibility to developing severe COVID-19 are too unpredictable. Although you may see direct-to-consumer tests about COVID-19 susceptibility, it’s best to do thorough research beforehand or talk with your physician about the accuracy of these tests. Genetic information is helpful to staying healthy–but only if results are accurate!

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity, and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

What’s Next

How to Protect Your Genetic Information

Should You Buy a DNA Kit for Christmas?

| November 12, 2022

‘Tis the Season!

With Thanksgiving fast approaching and Black Friday just a day later, you know what that means: time to start your Christmas shopping.

A popular gift at Christmas is a DNA test kit. These simple kits let you spit in a test tube, send it to the lab, and get your genetic results in a few weeks. These test kits range in results from five generations to 60,000 years.

Genome sequencing test kits are all the rage. These claim to predict your susceptibility to future diseases or help you find your ideal diet.

While either option might seem like the perfect gift, you may want to reconsider.

Direct-to-consumer DNA test kits are notorious for having security issues. From data breaches and mail interceptions to companies giving forensic access or selling information to pharmacies, you can’t be certain that your genetic information won’t be stolen, examined, or leaked.

If you truly value privacy, then it’s best not to give a DNA kit as a present. Once your relative submits their genetic sample, there’s no going back.

DNA Paternity Testing knows the importance of protecting your privacy. We are not a direct-to-consumer company that makes an extra profit by selling your DNA to a pharmaceutical or food company. We keep your genetic information locked away, following all HIPAA safety standards. You can feel confident releasing your DNA to us.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity, and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

What’s Next

Is My DNA Safe?