Françoise Clerget-Darpoux, Paris

Françoise Clerget-Darpoux, PhD
Directrice de recherche émérite INSERM

Abstract

Thanks to the extraordinary technological progress made in decoding the human genome, it has become possible to carry out genome-wide association studies at a reasonable cost. This type of work has given rise to a multitude of scientific publications announcing the discovery of numerous genetic variants that would increase or decrease the risk of a disease, or even the propensity for numerous traits, such as certain behaviors or intellectual aptitudes. These genetic risks could be measured from birth, by simply reading genetic markers on your DNA, through so-called "polygenic risk scores".
We challenge here the predictive value of polygenic risk scores and stress the serious abuses that result from the misuse and misinterpretation of genome-wide association studies.

Résumé

Grâce aux extraordinaires progrès technologiques réalisés dans le décodage du génome humain, il est devenu possible de réaliser des études d'association pangénomique à un coût raisonnable. Ce type de travaux a donné lieu à une multitude de publications scientifiques annonçant la découverte de nombreux variants génétiques qui augmenteraient ou diminueraient le risque d'une maladie ou la propension à de nombreux traits, tels certains comportements ou aptitudes intellectuelles. Ces risques génétiques pourraient être mesurés dès la naissance, par simple lecture de marqueurs génétiques sur votre ADN, grâce à ce que l'on appelle des "scores de risque polygénique",

Nous contestons ici la valeur prédictive des scores de risque polygéniques et nous soulignons les dérives qui résultent de l'utilisation et de l'interprétation erronées des études d'association pangénomique.

Biography

Françoise Clerget-Darpoux is an Emeritus Research Director at INSERM. She headed a department devoted to statistical genetics including both methodological developments and their applications to the study of human diseases. She was for many years in charge of a Master's degree in statistical genetics at the University of Paris-Sud. Internationally renowned, she was the first non-American to become President of the International Genetic Epidemiology Society and to receive its Leadership Award.