Nuclear genomics, a genetic testing startup that is founded by 25 -year -old Kian Sadigi, Initially, in 2021, the patient was launched with the purpose of calculating the patient’s risk for specific diseases.
But it has been facing a dispute with the products that claim to tell people how their genetics are related to complex issues, including their IQ.
On Wednesday, when it announced a new product called Nuclear Jinn, it ended the conflict at the level of separation. With a tweet He said: “Every parents want to give their children more than them. For the first time in human history, Nuclear adds a new tool to this commitment.”
Nucleus says it can test IVF branches not only for well-known specific genes that are more likely to be a disease such as breast cancer, but also for appearance-genes, height, hair color, eye color-new IQ and complex health properties such as anxiety and ADHD.
The launch video contains a screenshot of the comparison menu. The idea is to help parents choose which of the branches to choose and which, maybe, waste.
The genetic examination of the bronze is not heard. IVF therapeutors Can test for The genes that can cause conditions such as Down Syndrome, or when parents know that they are high risk of a particular genetic disorder, such as cystic fibrosis.
But this is not the one who is doing nucleus. A spokeswoman says, using this controversial “polyganic score” to determine complex genetic results such as intelligence and anxiety.
According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, the polygunic scores only calculate the possibility of a particularly complex disease, mainly within the population. “Polygonic Risk Score can only describe the relative risk of a disease,” NHGR says. This is not equivalent to discovering a specific gene, such as the BRCA 1 gene mutation, which gives a person a 60-80 % “absolute risk of breast cancer,”. NHGR says.
One of the reasons is that doctors usually do not use such tests of individuals. “Polygeonic risk scores are not yet used by health professionals as there are no guidelines for practice and researchers are still improving how these scores arise,” According to the NHGR.
Nuclear defends that its procedure can be used to determine the risk of an individual. The spokesperson pointed to us A 2018 paper Where the authors said they developed legitimate methods for five common diseases: coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory intestinal disease, and breast cancer.
The article was advocating for screening to help individuals make lifestyle or treatment decisions, which is similar to the initial concept of nucleus.
On Wednesday, the tweet was promising parents that nucleus could help them create designer children. Now it has been seen more than 4 million times and has hundreds of comments, many of them either express disbelief that it works according to the promise, or a loser on the idea.
A VC Chemped In this debate, saying, “I was going to type something like Noah, but honestly, its reality makes me so nausea.”
Earlier, Nuclear had experienced such a controversy, as the Tekkarnch had previously reported, when it announced its $ 14 million series earlier this year. Startup support is supported by the founders’ funds, Alexis Ohian’s 776, and Adren Ouine (CEO in Forward Health), Brent Sanders (former CEO in Elrgan), and Meto Francishati (CEO at eight sleep).
Last year, Sadigi launched the Nuclear IQ, which is believed to tell users how much influence their genetics affect intelligence. The product was blew up As a “bad science and big business” Through some critics. Generosity Published a long defense His company’s methodology.
Nevertheless, telling adults that they are genetically smart is one thing. IVF to tell parents that they can choose the appearance and other complex attributes for their children, Many people will argueSomething else.
Nucleus Currently not doing such a test by IVF Lab Partners Himself, according to the Wall Street Journal report. It is in partnership with genomic predictions, which works with the IVF clinic. A genomic executive told WSJ that many parents request an intelligence test, and that does not provide it. Parents can voluntarily upload genetic data information to nucleus if they want to pursue it.
Or, as Sadigi said in the launch video, which would be aimed at parents: “IVF-1 long ago had given rise to fear and test tube children’s notoriety,” he said. “The one who was once controversial is now a daily practice. The same is true with genetic reform. The technology is now here and here to stay here.”