Some time in next year we'll have 100,000 markers for every gene in the human body, and we want to know what they do. The taxpayers funded the Human Genome Project to know how genes affect their health and that's what I, as a physician, want. Framingham Genomics faces the daunting task of combining and comparing all of the information in a standardized database. The project has attracted criticism from several quarters worried about the interests of Framingham citizens. Lenfant may be worried about any of several ethical issues.
Patient privacy is of course a concern, as is informed consent.
When most of the study subjects volunteered, genomic research wasn't yet dreamed of. Also a possible conflict of interest would exist if Boston University researchers had a financial interest in the new company. Furthermore, until now, any researchers who wanted to could access the Framingham data, and researchers were expected to contribute their findings back into the study's pool of information. This kind of sharing might not work for Framingham Genomic Medicine biz-dev types. Ledley said he and his colleagues take none of these issues lightly.