Genomics has the power to transform medicine, but it needs to be accessible

This article is part of the Technology and Innovation Insights series paid by Samsung.

In this episode of Next waveYoung Sohn sits with Lisa Alderson, CEO of Genome Medical, an innovative healthcare company working hard to make genomic medicine available to everyone.

Alderson shares her views on various issues related to genomics. She talks about the technology and the vast commitment of her company’s efforts to bring the potential to change the game for all patients by providing clinical support tools to non-genetic experts. She also addresses the ethical issues raised by genomics, especially their use in prenatal testing. And she highlights the important role that genomics played in developing the COVID vaccine at record speed.

Genomics is rapidly moving to the forefront of medicine. This potentially endless technology is transforming healthcare by making it more targeted, personalized and proactive.

Genomics helps determine treatment options for chronic diseases such as heart disease, as well as preventive care. It is becoming essential not only for reproductive health counseling, but also for screening for infertility and hereditary diseases in newborns. And it has proven to be useful in developing advanced treatments for diseases such as cancer, as well as in treating global outbreaks such as COVID-19.

But so far, genomic medicine has one major problem with access. Lisa Alderson, CEO of Genome Medical, explains that the vast majority of patients still do not have access to genomics, even if the technology advances and is medically beneficial. This is mainly due to insurance barriers, a broad lack of clinical understanding, and the enormous amount and complexity of new tests on the market.

Her company is on a mission to change dynamics by providing genomics-enabled healthcare to everyone through Genome Medical’s extensive network of genetic specialists and a technology platform that provides “genomics as a service.” I will.

Genomics for all patients

Alderson points out that virtually everyone can benefit from access to genetic insights. Not only can genetics provide the promise of providing the right patients with the right treatment at the right time, but it can also reveal new information to better inform clinical care.

And as genomics advances, its ability to detect and treat diseases such as cancer will increase significantly. As a result, this technique is becoming increasingly important not only for individuals with rare genetic conditions, but for everyone from birth to old age.

For example, historically, only one or two genes have been used to test for hereditary breast or ovarian cancer. However, as science has evolved, it turns out that there are 11 genes that can help detect hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. In fact, Alderson says there are more than 100 genes that can increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, as genetic testing becomes more accurate and accurate, it can save many lives exponentially.

SaaS platform to increase access

One way to help genomics reach its full potential is to provide non-genetic professionals with clinical support tools. This will give you a better understanding of which patients will benefit from which tests and how the information obtained will be interpreted and used to guide clinical care.

Of course, one challenge is that most regional healthcare systems do not have a dedicated metabolic geneticist on staff. As a result, they refer patients to prestigious academic centers. Most of the genomic health care is done there today. And that means that the local healthcare system can lose those patients due to the complete continuation of their care.

To address this, Genome Medical’s “Genomics as a Service” SaaS platform provides rapid patient education and involvement, and, when needed, provides providers with the clinical tools and knowledge needed to take advantage of genomics. Offers. Alderson says he wants all hospitals and healthcare systems to have access to genomics in a community environment.

Genetic testing for all healthcare professionals

Alderson Genetic testing is expanding Beyond the origins of prenatal medicine and oncology, new fields such as cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology and urology.

For example, in the past, most urologists did not have strong use cases for ordering genetic tests. However, genetic testing is currently recommended for almost all patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Ultimately, genomics affects all healthcare professionals, including pediatricians, oncologists, cardiologists, neurologists, and urologists.

“We are sitting on a major inflection point in the use of genetics and genomics,” says Alderson. “To not only prevent, but to better understand the cause of the disease, we make sure that it has a significant impact on human health. Therefore, we have more opportunities to improve the way we treat the disease. Instead of just observing the symptoms and trying to treat them, we find the root cause. “

Moral and ethical questions

It should be mentioned that genomics is not without controversy. With new genetic abilities, there is much debate about how to use them. For example, can insurance companies use genetic information to discriminate against people with certain risk factors for disability?

Or what about the use of genetic testing to determine if you have healthy children? And the problem is gene editing and giving scientists the ability to modify the DNA of many organisms. These are areas full of important moral and ethical issues.

“The power of this technology is that it can actually cure the disease,” says Alderson. “The scary thing about this technology is that we have a complete understanding of the downstream effects of genome editing. We don’t know everything about the genome, its role, and its impact on human health. Therefore, there is a lot of complexity here. “

An important ally in the fight against viruses

I have a lot of hope. After all, genomics has recently played a leading role in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine at record speed. Vaccines wouldn’t be here without their ability to sequence genomics and viruses quickly and accurately.

According to Alderson, genomics has helped scientists gain a deeper understanding of the virus, allowing vaccines to be produced within a year. This is an unprecedented achievement. She believes that the use of genomics in immunology will accelerate advances in treatment options in other disease areas and help address new viruses that may emerge.

“Genomics is clearly one of the most exciting advances in our life in healthcare,” Alderson concludes. “I couldn’t get any more excited about how far we’ve come in the last few decades, and the future.”

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