Are You Healthy, Genetically?

Have you encountered such question before?

Traditionally we define a person as healthy when the person does not exhibit any clinical symptoms of disease(s). There are enormous diagnostics testing methodologies based on molecular biology, biochemical or radiological imaging approach, which cater for detection of clinical symptoms of the diseases.

Nevertheless, there are many silent diseases such as cancers and Cardiovascular diseases, whereby the prominent symptoms usually appear during the later stage of disease. Such diseases do not discriminate, even to the low-risk group, e.g. individuals with healthy lifestyles and those in the younger age groups with negligible symptoms.

 

Why would such cases occur? It’s because of genetics.

Post of Human genome project, many genes were found to be associated with the pathogenesis molecular pathway. The consequent genotype and phenotype profile have been shown to correlate with clinical symptoms that predispose to the manifestation of the diseases. This means, a person’s health status is not defined by clinical risk factors alone, but genetic risk factors as well, which can be inherited from one’s parent in a form of genetic mutation and polymorphisms.

Genetic testing services had emerged over the past few years, claiming to offer predictive screening of inheritable and potent diseases. However, most of the existing genetic testing services are based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing, which appeared to be monogenic assessment.

In INFOVALLEY®, we had identified and compiled a portfolio that captured the multi-factorial characterization (both clinically and molecularly) with the associated diseases. The interdependent relationship of the clinical characteristics and diseases are derived from the common molecular pathways, which cascade and eventually lead to the manifestation of the diseases. Based on this proposition and the leveraging of DNA microarray technology, INFOHaem™ Molecular Screening offers genetic predisposition screening services with two screening packages: INFOHaem Can12TM screens for cancer predisposition in healthy subjects for 12 type of cancers; and INFOHaem FH1536TM screens for subjects at risk of Hypercholesterolemia and diagnostics of clinically suspected Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients.

INFOHaem™ Molecular Screening enables establishment of subject risk profile, which incorporates the clinical risk factors to provide comprehensive assessment, apart from genetic risk profiling. Most importantly, the screening platform has been validated by extensive clinical studies with various public hospitals and universities in Malaysia prior to the launch in 2011. Apart from that, INFOVALLEY’s research findings of a novel LDLR gene mutation among the Asian population has been recognized by British Heart Foundation and included in the UCL LDLR (low-density lipoprotein receptor gene) variant database. Moving forward, additional disease screening will be included into the product portfolio with progressive R&D efforts.

So coming back to the question, Are You Healthy, Genetically?

Undergo INFOHaem™ Molecular Screening today and you will know the answer!

INFOHaem™ Molecular Screening was recognized by Frost and Sullivan’s Malaysian Excellence Award 2012, as best product Innovation. For more information, kindly refer to www.infovalley.net.my.

by Susan Ong, Product Portfolio Manager