As the first ever ‘Multi-omics Diagnostics Lab’ in Bangalore city, it aims at providing a complete, one-stop solution for diagnostic testing of every aspect of a disease at the molecular level from the DNA to RNA to protein biomarkers dynamically. The Cell Multi-omics Diagnostic and Research Lounge will cover Genetics, Gene Testing, Whole Genome Sequencing, Gene Expression Microarrays, Proteomics and Immunohistochemistry. Apart from this, there is already an operational Flow Cytomentry facility for research as well as diagnostic evaluation of blood markers.
Speaking about the joint initiative, Mr. Sam Santhosh, Chairman, MedGenome, said, “this effort envisages Medgenome-ANGEL (Advanced Novel Genetic Evaluation Laboratory: guarding health) in genetic testing for rare and common genetic/hereditary diseases that includes various types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, eye diseases, neonatal disorders etc. Our mission is to make this testing available and affordable to people with cancers or genetic conditions and their families, thereby actively working towards guarding health. The market in India is still in the nascent stage while the US market is about US$ 5 billion. The opportunities for growth are tremendous.”
For example, a patient with breast cancer can get tested for the breast cancer gene panel, including genes like BRCA and if positive, the female members of the family can also get tested and take appropriate precautions if they are positive for the mutations. Similarly, for the hereditary eye cancer Retinoblastoma, we can identify the mutation and screen the entire family and newborns to ensure better treatment and prevention. All these will be done within Narayana Nethralaya, Health City campus, which will ensure faster processing, simplification of logistics and increased accessibility to clinicians and researchers.
Commenting on the partnership, Dr. K. Bhujang Shetty, Chairman & Managing Director, Narayana Nethralaya, remarked, “Narayana Nethralaya always believed in giving the best of the services to society. We are extremely happy to partner with MedGenome for this kind of an initiative. This is a landmark achievement for us as well as the medical fraternity, as we are taking a big leap in addressing the health issues at the fundamental level through advanced tests.”
Most of these tests include full gene analysis by DNA sequencing, the gold standard of genetic testing. The lab will take advantage of the rapidly evolving next generation sequencing technology that can drastically reduce the costs of genetic screening which was not affordable so far in Indian scenario. Some of the genetic tests also include the companion diagnostic tests that will help the clinician to choose the right treatment option for life threatening diseases like cancer.
The state-of-the-art next-generation sequencing technology will also be a boon to all the basic and clinician researchers within the Health City campus. This will encourage clinicians to get involved in performing cutting edge research to address the pressing health problems of the Indian populace.
“This will add a much-needed edge over any other hospital system in the country in terms of translating benchtop research to the patient’s bedside in the hands of the physician and surgeons. Alongside these diagnostic testing modalities, this initiative also aims to develop in-house tests/kits for genes or diseases specific to the Indian population with the help of the research groups/clinicians on campus and around the country,” said Dr. V. Ramprasad, Chief Operating Officer, MedGenome.
Narayana Nethralaya and MedGenome are also collaborating to establish a Proteomic facility that will have capability to analyse small molecules/metabolites/aminoacids/proteins for diagnostics of metabolic syndromes/IEMs as well as perform whole proteome analysis from any source.
“We have termed this initiative TRUST * - A paradigm shift for personalised medicine (Treatment titration Using Specific Targets). In essence, this complete Cell Multi-omics (Genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) platform, that can evaluate every aspect of cellular function for a patient, will be a major step forward in Indian medicine,” said Dr. Rohit Shetty, Vice-Chairman, Narayana Nethralaya.
ABOUT Narayana Nethralaya
Narayana Nethralaya is a super specialty eye hospital in Bangalore, having three large centers. Started by well-known ophthalmologist Dr K Bhujang Shetty, Narayana Nethralaya is one of the largest tertiary eye care centers in Karnataka providing an advanced level of eye care. The focus is on applied research in areas such as Stem Cells, Molecular techniques (Polymerase chain reaction), Genetics, Ocular Immunology and infectious diseases. The National Board of examinations, New Delhi has recognized the hospital for training of candidates for the DNB course (Ophthalmology). www.narayananethralaya.org
ABOUT MedGenome
MedGenome Labs Pvt Ltd, provides molecular genetic diagnostics using Sanger sequencing & Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies for personalized healthcare. Molecular diagnostic tests can help determine which variations in the patient's genes should be targeted for the right treatment option. The tests will also aid the clinician in screening to predict the risk of developing a specific disease (which includes carrier status & investigational studies). In both cases, the test results will enable the clinician to more effectively intervene for better disease management. www.medgenome.com