But first how does DNA testing work?
Most of the cells in the human body contain deoxyribonucleic acid or universally known as DNA. This is a double stranded molecule that is responsible for your genetic makeup. Every human DNA is formed by four main nucleobases known as adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. These four bases form DNA sequences unique to every individual and serve as a ‘programming code’ that determines your physical characteristics. To test your genetics, a sample containing your DNA, typically from salivary fluid or blood, is collected and studied to look at specific changes in your chromosomes, DNA, and protein. Laboratory results containing your information can then be given to you directly under request or used by professionals, depending on the purpose of the analysis.
In recent years, take-home DNA test kits are commonly marketed to understand your lineage or trace your ancestry. However, there are many more benefits arising from this technology. To name a few, DNA testing is used in forensics for legal investigations or for medical management purposes, in which the latter will be the center discussion in this article. Your genetic information provides a large scope of interest and can tell you more than just where you came from. Let’s get to know them!
Beyond your lineage and identity – Medical management through Genetic testing
The medical benefit of DNA or genetic testing is to analyze an individual’s genetic information in aims to detect forms of abnormalities and determine whether you may be diagnosed with/or predisposed to certain diseases early or later in life.
Genetic testing can be used in several ways. The most common uses are:
1. Diagnosis and predictive testing
Diagnosis testing is used to rule out or confirm a genetic disorder if you are experiencing symptomatic reactions. Diagnose testing can certainly be done through several other methods, but diagnosis through genetic tests is found to be less costly and invasive towards patients.
Predictions of a heredity disorder can also be done to clarify your genetic status in an asymptomatic person. This is usually determined after the disease-causing disorder has affected a family member or relatives. Predictive testing allows you to take preventative measures through early interventions with medication or tailoring your nutritional intake and lifestyle. For example, if a family member has been diagnosed with Huntington’s disease or cancer, predictive testing can estimate the likelihood of you to develop these respective diseases in later life. You can then console a physician about health management and steps to take if you would want to have children.
2. Pre-implant and pre-natal testing
Pre-implant testing can be used by couples who choose to undergo genetic testing prior to pregnancy. This is to ensure that the baby will not inherit genetic abnormalities. The process is done through in-vitro fertilization of the egg and sperm, followed by selective implantation through genetic examination of each embryo.
Genetic tests can also allow for pre-natal tests which screens for genetic changes and/or abnormalities in a fetal chromosome as a precautionary measure for parents. Some birth defects are commonly tested by pre-natal tests, including Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome.
3. Carrier testing
Finally, a carrier test is used to determine autosomal genetic diseases that may be passed on by individuals to their offspring. Similarly, this test allows for couples who are considering pregnancy and determining heredity risks for their child.
These forms of tests are extremely beneficial for your individual health as well as couples who plan for pregnancy. It is a promising practice for primary care.
To be better fitted for therapeutic interventions and nutrition – Advancement in genetic testing
Recent developments in biotechnology and bioinformatics have focused on expanding the purpose of genetic testing. In addition to predictive and preventative measures, genetic tests are now looking at therapeutic outcomes in patients. Physicians now can identify adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to different therapeutic interventions and drug efficacy through pharmacogenetic tests. This test studies the dynamics between a person’s genetic makeup towards certain drugs.
ADRs can directly be associated with genetic factors which result in unwanted side effects or, possibly, treatment failure. For example, estrogen positive (ER+) breast cancer patients who carry specific variants of CYP2D6 gene may metabolize Tamoxifen differently. Those identified as poor (PMs) or intermediate (IMs) metabolizers are unfavorable to Tamoxifen therapy and may end up with increased risk of disease recurrence or treatment failure due to inadequate drug metabolism. As a result, these segmented patients do not turn Tamoxifen into its active form and causes problems in therapy.
Furthermore, pharmacogenetic tests can then provide you with personalized medication, a targeted approach that is specific to your biology. Because we now know which ER+ breast cancer patients won’t benefit from Tamoxifen, physicians can then prescribe an alternative to that standard approach. Another option would be to adjust the dosing prior to therapeutic initiation. Increasing the dose of Tamoxifen from baseline levels are commonly applied to PMs and IMs patients.
These are just a few small examples of the countless benefits for genetic screening, a lead to improve therapeutic outcomes and avoid the conventional ‘trial and error’ process.
Alongside drugs, another new era in genetic testing is used in precision nutrition, an extension to precision medicine. Nutrigenomics is a study of the bidirectional relationship between your genetic makeup and diet. It is used to measure your bodily responses towards metabolizing vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds in food. Analyzing these responses can help you understand your gene-nutrient interactions and improve your personal dietary guidelines.
The benefits of DNA/genetic testing go beyond discovering where you came from. There is a plethora of uses in this technology offering medical management to improve your healthcare journey. Genetic testing can tell you whether you are predisposed to a genetic disorder, help your pregnancy planning, all the way to knowing certain drugs and dietary needs that are best for you. Genetic tests serve many possibilities and capture better understanding of your biological makeup.
Nalagenetics offers Nala Risk PredictionTM, Nala RxReadyTM, and Nala NutriReadyTM. Respectively, these are genetic tests that determines your susceptibility to diseases, allows choosing better suited drugs, and measures your individual nutrient metabolism all through the analysis of your genes and identification ofDNA variants. For more information, contact +628119941440. Understand your genes now to improve your healthcare journey!
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