DNA Tests For Depression Meds?

A Medical Mystery Solved

Caroline Cheung-Yiu A Boy's Mysterious Illness Leads His Family On A Diagnostic Odyssey When Alex Yiu was born, he seemed like a typical healthy kid. But when he turned 2, his mother, Caroline Cheung-Yiu, started noticing things that were amiss — first little problems, then much bigger ones, that eventually putt him in a wheelchair. The family set off on a "diagnostic odyssey," that included sequencing Alex's DNA. Still they found no answers until 12 years later, a scientist looked at his genome again, by a lucky accident, and discovered the gene causing his illness. There are thousands of cold cases like Alex's. The databases cataloging genetic diseases are constantly being updated. But scientists don't have the time to recheck their findings frequently. "It's a problem we're trying to solve across the world right now," says Ryan Taft, vice president for scientific research at Illumina, a manufacturer of gene-sequencing instruments.  Read more about how the field of DNA analysis is evolving to help find answers about rare disease. Jeremy Leung for NPR A Place Where Gifted And Autistic Teens Can Connect With Like-Minded Peers Educators refer to teens like Alex as "twice exceptional." "I have a large degree of skill in almost every subject of learning," says Alex, who is 16. "But I also have autistic spectrum disorder." For Alex, this dual identity has meant both opportunity and frustration. He has skipped two grades so far, and began taking college math courses last year, when he was still 15. But it's also been a challenge to develop socially and make friends. Now Alex and other kids like him are finding refuge in educational camps for talented kids at the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa's College of Education, which designs programs for young people who excel at math and science and the arts and have some form of disability. Learn more about 'twice exceptional' kids and how they're connecting and thriving at the center. Myriad Genetics Genetic Tests Claim To Match Patients With The Best Drugs For Their Depression - Do They Work? For people living with depression and other psychiatric disorders, trying to find the right medication to manage their symptoms can involve years of frustrating trial and error, as their doctors try them on various meds.   Recently some insurers have started covering genetic tests that claim to be able to tell patients which medicines are more likely to help them, based on their DNA.  Companies that make these tests say they can save patients and doctors from prolonged searching for the right medication and save insurance companies from paying for ineffective drugs. But many researchers say the tests don't have enough evidence backing them up. And the Food and Drug Administration has warned that the tests could potentially steer patients towards the wrong medications.  So are they worth it? Read more about the tests and what doctors and patients are saying about them. More of this week's health stories from NPR Watching People Play With Slime On The Internet Is Super Relaxing For Some People (Really!) What's At Stake In The Latest Court Challenge To Obamacare? Is Car Culture On Its Way Out? Some Cities Are Banning Drive-Through Fast Food   We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots and follow us on Twitter at @NPRHealth. Your Shots editor, Carmel Wroth   What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: shots@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Goats & Soda, Daily News, Best of NPR and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Health emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy