Empowered Patient Podcast Making Whole Exome Sequencing Affordable Accessible Interpretable with Dahlia Attia-King Panacea
Dahlia Attia-King, CEO of Panacea, is bringing whole exome sequencing to a broader audience and promoting the value of this data for disease prevention and making smarter lifestyle choices. She highlights the differences between whole exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing, noting that whole exome sequencing can be conducted more cost-effectively and provide information about the genes most likely to impact health.
Dahlia explains, "These two barriers, the physicians and the insurers, are sometimes big barriers to accessing clinical genetic testing for people, even those who need it and those who fit the current guidelines. We aim to bypass those barriers and partner with very skilled CLIA/CAP certified laboratories. We partner with trained clinical genetic counselors. We partner with physicians who understand how to utilize genetic testing, and we bring those services collectively in one very simple, user-friendly experience so that no one who wants genetic testing will struggle to get it."
"We do that and focus on whole exome because, number one, it's more cost-effective. It's actually quite a lot more expensive to sequence the entire genome. So when you focus on just the genes, you focus on the 20,000 plus genes in the genome and nothing else. But that's so valuable because the vast majority of changes or mutations in your genome that affect your susceptibility for disease happen in the exome."
"But to your point, there is also a large amount of data that can come off the exome that is interpretable. And in a lot of cases, just like you said, it's actionable, which means that information can be used to make certain targeted decisions in your healthcare so that you can essentially, in a way, get ahead of your genes or outsmart your genes because you're prepared. You know the instructions that your genes are holding and where your risks might be. That way, you can certainly better target your healthcare and take a more preventative approach as opposed to a reactionary approach, which happens in most cases in today's healthcare."
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