Microsoft supports Scripps Health for genetic testing study

San Diego October 10: The software maker Microsoft Corp. has joined the healthcare industry by sponsoring Scripps Health in their study to reveal the impact of genetic testing.

Scripps Health is a non-profit health system that is located in San Diego. Their research laboratory, Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), also in San Diego, will sponsor the study. They will be making genetic scans for 10,000 Scripps Health employees together with their family and friends, who volunteered for the study.

Researchers will be monitoring the study participants for 20 years, noting any changes they make on their behavior and lifestyle. To make this possible, Navigenics, Affymetrix and Microsoft all joined in on the study.
Navigenics Inc. will provide their genetic testing services by scanning the genomes while Affimetrix Inc. will interpret the results of the scan made by Navigenics. The participants will be given the analysis of their genetic scans.

Microsoft takes part in the study through their HealthVault service which will be used to store the participants’ information. This service will not only allow the participants to store their data but also help in keeping track and managing their information throughout the 20 years that the study will run.

The director of STSI, Eric Topol, explained that "genome scans give people considerable information about their DNA and risk of disease, yet questions have been raised if these tests are ready for widespread public use."

There are many diseases which are lifestyle-related such as obesity, diabetes and heart problems which can otherwise be prevented. The study aims to discover if the people who have undergone the scan and found out that they are at risk of contracting a certain disease will be influenced to change their lifestyle.

It was last year when HealthVault was released. This web based service allows individuals to store and monitor their health information. It also serves as a platform for sharing that information to others. It can be used for personal or industrial purposes.

"Personalized medicine stands to change the way people approach their health and wellness, as well as open up new genetic research opportunities. This collaboration is a significant step forward in empowering people to proactively address their specific individual health needs, as well as give clinical researchers access to a broader pool of genetic data to develop new disease treatments," stated Peter Neupert, the corporate vice president for the Health Solutions Group at Microsoft.