The Importance of Quality and Quantity in Cancer Assay Testing

As you may have heard, we are launching a Patreon! For those that don’t know what Patreon is, it’s a platform that allows creators (like podcasters) to offer their followers more content, experiences, and even gifts. We have a survey that will be open for a limited time so get your input in now so we can provide the benefits you want. Maybe that’s a one-on-one Zoom with me for mentorship or a genetics book/movie club or an appearance on the podcast! Let us know so we can make sure to offer it. Thanks for all your support for the podcast over the years.

My guest today is Dr. Jamie Fettig, the Founder and CEO of TruGene Diagnostics. We are chatting about a breakthrough in eliminating variants of unknown significance - especially in relation to companion diagnostic tests and pharmacogenetics in oncology.

Dr. Jamie Fettig is the Founder and CEO of TruGene Diagnostics, which is eliminating variants of unknown significance - especially in relation to companion diagnostic tests and pharmacogenetics in oncology. He graduated from Palmer University. Dr. Fettig previously worked in private practice and then transitioned into manufacturing and selling medical equipment. He also worked as a coach and trainer to fellow doctors.

On This Episode We Discuss:

Defining variants of unknown significance (VUS), pharmacogenetics and companion diagnostics

What TruGene Diagnostics does

The GiggaAssay

How knowing if a breast cancer is HER2+ can help inform medications that people should be prescribed

VUS in HER2 Tyrosine Kinase Region

What people should do if they get HER2+ cancer or their doctor wants to do a biopsy thinking it might be HER2+

How cancer survival rates are impacted by utilizing precision medicine approaches with drugs

How TruGene Diagnostics’ test differs from other PGx tests or Precision Meds

How pharmacogenomics can increase the efficacy of clinical trials

Check out Dr. Fettig’s papers:

Heligenics: fulfilling the promise of the functional genome to enable precision medicine (March, 2023)

Data Supporting a saturation mutagenesis assay for Tat-driven transcription with the GigaAssay (September 2022)

GigaAssay – a high-throughput assay system for molecular functions and cell processes (July 2021)

Check out DNA Today Episode 134 that Kira mentioned during this episode; it’s with guest Dr. Kat Arney about cancer evolution. You can also stream other episodes about pharmacogenomics including Episode #108 with Becky Winslow, Episode #174 with Gregory Kellog, and last week’s Episode #229 with Avni Santani!

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on April 7th, 2023, where we’ll be discussing ChatGPT and AI In Genetics with Daniel Uribe of GenoBank! New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 225 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.

DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.

See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com.

Surely you have heard of whole genome sequencing, but what about rapid and ultra-rapid whole genome sequencing? This is an emerging method of diagnosing genetic conditions for quick management. PerkinElmer Genomics offers this incredibly valuable test, which can be life saving for ill babies and kids. Learn more in our full episode (#226) with PerkinElmer Genomics. You can visit perkinelmergenomics.com for more information. (Sponsored)

Juno Diagnostics has developed the next generation of non-invasive prenatal tests so that all pregnant people can access a higher standard of care. Juno Diagnostics is the only genetic testing company on the market that performs NIPS for common aneuploidies on blood samples from a finger stick instead of a traditional venous blood draw. That means you collect your sample on your own time, at home, and still have NIPS at a CLIA laboratory! Juno’s Hazel™ NIPS screens for common chromosome variations seen in pregnancy, such as Down syndrome or trisomy 21, trisomy 13, and trisomy 18 – in addition to testing for fetal sex. You can order this test yourself, or have your healthcare provider order for you. Head to JunoDx.com and use the code "DNATODAY” for 10% off! Keep your eye out for our full episode interview with experts from Juno Dx including fellow genetic counselor Katie Sagaser and Dr. Allison Rodgers. In the meantime, check out JunoDx.com to learn more about Hazel and their other test Birch (which tests just for the sex of your baby). (Sponsored)