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NIH announces Genetic Testing Registry
WASHINGTON—The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is creating a public database that researchers, consumers, health care providers, and others can search for information submitted voluntarily by genetic test providers.
The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) aims to enhance access to information about the availability, validity, and usefulness of genetic tests.
Currently, more than 1,600 genetic tests are available to patients and consumers, but there is no single public resource that provides detailed information about them. GTR is intended to fill that gap.
“The need for this database reflects how far we have come in the last 10 years,” said NIH Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD. “The registry will help consumers and health care providers determine the best options for genetic testing, which is becoming more and more common and accessible. Our combined expertise in biomedical research and managing such large databases makes NIH the ideal home for the registry.”
