The team of genetic code scientists published an article in the Nature Genetics journal updating “a series of discoveries including the age of mankind’s last common ancestor“.
By combining the genomes of 10,000 individuals from all over Iceland and having family trees, scientists confirmed that they are able to work out the nation’s entire genetic code. When interviewed by the BBC, Dr. Kari Stefansson explained that his team is capable of “predicting, with substantial accuracy, the entire genome of the nation“.
Thus, thanks to a simple procedure, his team would be capable of “identifying all women with BRCA2 gene mutations“, responsible for cancers. Actress Angelina Jolie, a carrier of this gene mutation, decided to undergo preventive mastectomy.
As far as Dr. Stefansson is concerned, “it would be criminal” not to take into account the data available to his team because preventive ablation eliminates the risk of cancer. Dr. Stefansson reported that he entered into discussions with the Icelandic health system.
BBC (James Gallagher) 26/03/2015