CANINE EYE REGISTRATION FOUNDATION July, 1999 INSIDE
DX Spotlight LET'S TALK UPDATES
DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS DNA Testing Walter Weirich, DVM, PhD
The testing of DNA for a specific genetic disease is becoming more and more common place. It would be very nice if a DNA test were available for each heritable disease in purebred dogs. Each puppy could have a genetic test or battery of genetic tests and we could make much more appropriate breeding decisions. CERF serves as the repository for this information and will register dogs that have been shown by a DNA test to be free of the abnormal genetic trait. DNA testing is a bit of a mine field at this time because there are no standards readily available to help the general public make a judgment as to the merits of one DNA test over another. When well known, credentialed scientists are involved with a specific test, one can be assured that test is accurate. But, when someone not well known or credentialed offers a DNA test, how can one know if the test will work? This is a question I have thought about a lot. Since CERF serves as the registry for some of these tests how do we know what that registration is based upon? I asked the American Veterinary Medical Association to consider establishing a group of scientists who could judge the merits of a genetic test. This would provide information to veterinarians, breed clubs, and disease registries as to the strengths and weaknesses of the various tests that might be available. After considering this possibility they decided not to do this. This would have been a valuable service to animal owners but, it would have been fraught with some difficulty. | |
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