When science changes its mind
Pathogenic yesterday, benign today.
Interpretations are not set in stone
ClinVar is a living database. Labs submit their interpretations, and over time, as new evidence emerges, those interpretations can change. A variant classified as pathogenic in 2015 might be reclassified as benign in 2025. That's not a bug. It's how science works.
Why reclassification happens
New functional studies, population data, or clinical follow-up can shift the balance of evidence. Sometimes a variant turns out to be too common in healthy people to cause disease. Sometimes we learn it disrupts a critical protein domain. The goal is to get it right, even if that means changing our minds.
What you can do
If you have a variant that was classified years ago, ask about reanalysis. Many labs and clinics periodically review old results. ClinVar tracks submission history so you can see how interpretations have evolved.