1. Genetic/DNA Testing

Introduction

One of the greatest technological accomplishments of the last 100 years has been the complete mapping of the human genome, first announced in 2003.  This, combined with the advent of high-throughput technologies, has led to an explosion of molecular data generated in the last decade, much of which has gradually become a routine component of clinical diagnosis and treatment.  Prospective parents with familial or ethnic history of genetic disease have long been encouraged to undergo genetic counselling, including genotyping for disease alleles such as Tay-Sachs and Cystic Fibrosis.  Whereas previously the emphasis was on these rare single-gene disorders, attention is increasingly focussing on identifying susceptibility to the common, multifactorial diseases that clinicians encounter on a daily basis. 

A significant portion of medical research is currently focussing on the identification of genetic markers that can act as predictors of future onset of disease.  Identification of these specific genetic variants is a challenging assignment as the majority of chronic diseases are multifactorial, and arise through a complex set of interactions between the environment and the physiological processes within the body.  Despite the difficulties faced, the discovery of prognostic genetic markers is increasing at an astonishing rate, and continues to improve target identification, genetic-risk profiling, test accuracy, disease detection, monitoring, and treatment selection.  Recent research demonstrating that several treatment responses are conditional on a genomic profile suggests that the long-awaited era of personalized medicine, all based on the patient's gene sequence or gene expression signature, may be closer than we think.
The types of genes we carry impact significantly on our health and susceptibility to various diseases. A significant portion of medical research is currently focussing on the identification of genetic markers that can act as predictors of future onset of disease. The discovery of these prognostic genetic markers is increasing at an astonishing rate, and continues to improve target identification, genetic-risk profiling, test accuracy, disease detection, monitoring, and treatment selection.

Process

A simple, painless cheek swab is all that it takes to know your genetic profile and create a healthier future. Your genetic profile will arm you with the information that you need to make proactive lifestyle decisions that can reduce your risks of developing certain, predictable chronic diseases. DNAlysis currently offers predictive testing for a range of chronic diseases, including Cardiovascular Disease, Type II Diabetes, Thrombosis, Osteoporosis and Lifestyle-Related Cancers (Breast, Prostate and Colon Cancer). The scientific literature is replete with examples of the simple lifestyle and nutritional modifications that can help reduce risks for these diseases.

Affordable, High-Throughput Gene-Profiling Technology

Until recently, several factors contributed to the difficulty in establishing the precise role played by genetic factors in predisposing certain individuals to the development of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), osteoporosis, certain malignancies and diabetes, amongst others.  Firstly, there was a scarcity of data with which to establish robust associations between carriers of gene variants (with suspected disease causalities) and the manifestation of disease in these individuals.  Secondly, the pathogenesis and outcome of many of these chronic conditions is often related to a complex network of genetically expressed factors, and it is rarely possible to attribute, for example, an elevated risk of developing chronic heart disease to a single genetic element. Thus the difficulty in using conventional technology to sample, process and analyse genetic material for the study of the relationship between our genes and our health is compounded by the fact that this relationship is fundamentally complex.

However, recent advances in gene analysis technologies have dramatically altered the reliability, scale and quality of molecular data we are able to generate, and the speed with which we are able to acquire this data.  Thus, high-throughput multi-gene analysis technologies now allow us to analyse thousands of individual genes from a single patient in a matter of hours at a minimal cost, whereas the corresponding analysis of only a single gene using older technology would have required many days and cost many thousands of Rands.  In this way, we are now able to perform systematic genetic evaluation of whole gene complexes, thereby profiling individual health risk levels with increasing confidence and efficiency.

Gene Panels

We offer a comprehensive range of tests that describe the cumulative risks of developing diseases/disorders for which there are well-established underlying genetic causes.  Currently, we offer detailed analyses of a variety of gene polymorphisms (subtle genetic variations in the same genes of different individuals) that play clear roles in the aetiology of:

v  Heart and Cardiovascular Disease

v  Osteoporosis

v  Diabetes Mellitus (Insulin Resistance)

v  Inflammatory Disorders

v  Obesity

v  Breast, Prostate and Colon Cancer

v  Antioxidation and Detoxification Disorders

2. Saliva Testing

The IMC also offers saliva testing on steroid hormones, which is the truest reflection of your tissue levels of the steroid hormones


 

3. Sonar Testing

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4. Neurotransmitter Testing

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 5 Labratory testing

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