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Company says vitamins tailor-made to counter DNA flaws

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 14, 2008 at 9:59 a.m.
Updated August 14, 2008 at 4:02 p.m.

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A new company began this month launching personalized vitamins, concocted to counter the foibles of DNA — not just anyone's DNA, but your very own.

GeneWize Life Sciences vows to achieve "Genetic Harmony" in its customers, who, for about $100 a month, can get vitamin capsules just for them — for their genetic risks for, say, heart attacks, breast cancer or muscular dystrophy.

Geneticists who've examined the science have some words of praise for the approach, but wonder if the vitamins actually will deliver the safeguards promised.

If it works, it would be one of the first widespread benefits of the heady excitement of 2003, when the 25,000 or so genes in the human genome were first sequenced, and scientists spoke in glowing terms of the potential to counter disease in the future.

It works like this:

— Potential customers do their own cheek swabs to collect DNA, then store the swab in a kit and send it into the GeneWize lab.

— Some of that DNA is examined, in particular 12 of the 25,000 genes that make up the long DNA molecule. Analysts search for breaks in the normal genetic pattern in certian genes that are connected to health and disease.

The base pairs on the gene of the double-helix shaped DNA send signals to amino acids to build proteins.

If the base pairs are out of sequence just a little bit on certain genes, it could foul things up — not necessarily a great deal, but enough to make the person more vulnerable to certain diseases.

An abnormal pattern in a person's gene, called a polymorphism, might be shared by 1 percent or 2 percent or 5 percent of the rest of the population.

In those cases, the gene can signal the body to make too much, or too little, or the wrong kind of a protein that is key to promoting or protecting against a malady.

GeneWize officials say their approach can identify who needs, say, more heart-healthy folic acid. So, they stick more folic acid in the tablet for whoever needs it.

Multiply that personalized tactic by a dozen or more, and each customer has a vitamin that is unlike those being swallowed by 99 percent of the other customers.

But would it really work?

David Patterson, president of the Eleanor Roosevelt Institute at the University of Denver, says maybe, maybe not.

"They picked a reasonable set of genes ... they got it sort of right," said Patterson, whose Institute was the first to sequence completely the genes on Chromosome 21. "And their methods would certainly detect the things they said they would detect.

"But whether or not that would serve as a basis for a meaningful therapy ... that's what I'm concerned about."

The trouble is that there are often a couple dozen different genes involved in the give-and-take that leads to a disease, or a person's propensity to contract it, Patterson, a world-renowned geneticist, said.

"They look at a couple of genes important for folic acid metabolism," Patterson said. "But there are probably 13 or 14 genes in that metabolic system.

"If you don't look at all of them, well, the effect of one or two may not give you the effect you think you're going to get."

"It's really complex stuff," Patterson said. "They're going to give you extra folate. It might help, it might not.

"I wouldn't personally pay a lot of money to have this done. I just don't know what the ultimate outcome is going to be."

Still, Patterson added that the approach, "Isn't wildly ridiculous. In fact, it's very intriguing.

"But there's no data that says this will help. That's all I'm concerned about."

GeneWize's parent company is GeneLink, which formed in 1996 and has several patents based on its research and development. Both companies are based in Florida.

GeneLink has developed gene-detection systems for detecting genetic disorders such as Fragile X syndrome, Huntington's disease and myotonic dystrophy.

It has been selling skin care products based on genetics for three years. In 2004, GeneLink announced that its anti-wrinkle skin cream outperformed a placebo in a double-blind study.

GeneWize is using a multi-level marketing approach to sell the vitamins and recruit others to sell. The first salespeople get a cut of the profits earned by people they bring into the fold.

Rhonda Maguire of Louisville is in on the ground floor, as a GeneWize sales person and customer.

"I like that GeneWize is backed by solid research and development by GeneLink," she said this week. "They'll always be looking for something better — new products to enhance what they're currently doing.

"This is just the beginning. They're talking about Alzheimer's Disease and DNA skin supplements" in years to come.

This week, Maguire got in the mail both her health supplements and her DNA assessment. "It tells me what my weak links are," she said.

For one thing, her good cholesterol is too low. "I'll get maximum benefits and nutrients for that particular problem," she said.

Patterson, the geneticist from Denver, summed up: "I like the idea. And the technology is there. And they picked some good genes.

"Whether it's going to work, I don't know."

Comments

  • August 14, 2008

    11:24 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    roger44 writes:

    Another BS scheme to get your money

  • August 14, 2008

    2:10 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    buffsblg writes:

    21st century snake oil

  • August 14, 2008

    4:41 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    secondnature writes:

    Finally! Progress in the right direction. Something besides drugs-what a concept!

  • August 16, 2008

    11:24 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    secondnature writes:

    DNA results are already on record at the labs used for testing blood. This is fascinating and only the beginning of what's in store. How exciting!