BANGALORE Aug 9: Narayana Nethralaya, a super specialty eye hospital and MedGenome, a genomics and diagnostics company will join hands to set up a state-of-the-art diagnostic and basic research service laboratory with capabilities to serve all medical fields.
The lab will be set up at the Health City, with a combined investment of Rs 30 crore. The multi-omics diagnostics lab aims at providing a 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 and proteomics.
For example, a patient with breast cancer can get tested for the breast cancer gene panel 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.
Sam Santhosh, chairman, MedGenome, said, “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.”
Most of these tests will include full gene analysis by DNA sequencing. 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.
