Genetic Testing or Genetic Screening is the process whereby your DNA is collected via blood or saliva, and with the help of advanced DNA sequencing machines in the lab we can extract the genetic code, look for discrepancies, mutated genes, and certain allele combinations. With this information and the available evidence (data) we can interpret your risk factors.
Genetic Testing is used in clinical setting to gather data we can use to personalize the treatment plan for a patient. For example if your patient has a double allele of CYP2D6, it would be advisable to use an aromatase inhibitor over tamoxifen because of this gene increases drug metabolism of tamoxifen rendering it useless, which can lead to death.
Likewise, if you have the MTHFR-677 gene you will need more dark green leafy vegetables, sunlight, daily exercise, and you should also steer clear of alcohol. If you don’t follow these guidelines your homocysteine levels will likely be elevated, and this will indirectly increase your risk for certain non-communicable diseases like cancer, depression, and Alzheimer’s.
It’s also important to recognise that not all genetic tests or screens are the same thing. Sequencing all the data is expensive, as the lab equipment is expensive, and as a result genetic testing is not performed on the entire human genome (20 500 genes) as we don’t know what the role of every gene is, and we have not been able to uncover all the secrets.
The human body is a very complex system, probably as complex as the Universe itself. Therefore we are always looking for research grants from Government to empower our students with purposeful research. We want to uncover the entire human genome that medicine can be advanced and disease can be prevented if at all possible.