tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18521832130631835292012-01-19T01:57:33.518-08:00Health and DNAA pioneer in the field of human DNA testing, Genelex provides comprehensive DNA testing services. Our DNA Drug Sensitivity Testing and GeneMedRx software have helped physicians find the right drug and dose for their pateints since 2000.Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.comBlogger381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-5813438486189535712011-12-21T09:03:00.000-08:002011-12-21T09:09:23.770-08:00Happy Holidays from everyone at Genelex!Make your own picture slideshowHealth and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-56634986982371491192011-11-18T15:10:00.000-08:002011-11-18T15:42:45.150-08:00Pharmacogenomics in Clinical Practice: Where Do We Go From Here?In an interview with Medscape, Mark J. Ratain, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago and Founding Director of the University's Center for Personalized Therapeutics, pointed out that pharmacogenomic testing needs to move from the realm of reflex lab testing to part of the physical exam….“I think we need to take genetic testing out of the domain of laboratory testing and move it toHealth and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-81298165347823974862011-11-18T15:09:00.000-08:002011-11-18T15:43:06.384-08:00DNA in the NewsAnother case-control study published in October pointed out increased risk of stent thrombosis for patients taking Plavix with variations in a gene called CYP2C19. Patients with adverse events were two times more likely to have half of the gene be non-functional. Called intermediate metabolizers, this represents about one-third of patients. Patients with no CYP2C19 function, called poor Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-45633076363605609042011-11-18T15:03:00.000-08:002011-11-18T15:43:41.411-08:00Bringing Personalized Prescribing to the Community PharmacyAn interview with Brian Hocum, PharmD of Wasem’s Pharmacy who has recently made personalized prescribing available to at-risk customers.Why do you think genetics is important?I tell my patients that through DNA technology, we are able to determine what type of drug metabolizer they are. I explain how this information can be used to help predict if they are at risk of having bad reactions to drugsHealth and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-68419113457713408632011-11-18T15:01:00.000-08:002011-11-18T15:03:46.678-08:00Did You Know?In March of 2010, the FDA put a warning on the Plavix (clopidogrel) product insert that patients with a certain DNA variation of CYP2C19 (pronounced sip-2C19) were at high risk of treatment failure resulting in major cardiac problems or even death.CYP2C19 is not just involved in Plavix metabolism, it is involved in the metabolism of ~10% of medications.Other common medications processed by Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-22163498071330716972011-11-18T15:00:00.000-08:002011-11-18T15:44:03.332-08:00Embassies Crack Down on Third-party Immigration DNA TestsThird-party resellers of DNA testing abound on the internet. Unfortunately, many of them are unfamiliar with strict requirements for immigration DNA testing. The problem has become so pronounced that many Embassies are now requiring petitioners to contact AABB-accredited laboratories directly.Natalie Messelt from the US Embassy in Addis Ababa stated, “A petitioner must independently choose his orHealth and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-1990416893013781702011-07-28T16:10:00.000-07:002011-07-29T11:17:25.282-07:00Personalized Prescribing: Making the Most of Medicare Preventive Services<!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} b\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--><!--[if pub]> 281 7772400 10058400 259 261 257 276 262 279 1 0`````````````````````` 5 1 0 285 282 1 False 0 0 0 0 -1 304800 243 Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-55932653652544212862011-07-28T16:09:00.001-07:002011-07-29T11:21:52.614-07:00DNA in the News<!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} b\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--><!--[if pub]> 281 7772400 10058400 259 261 257 276 262 279 1 0`````````````````````` 5 1 0 285 282 1 False 0 0 0 0 -1 304800 243 Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-30446787629128950322011-07-28T16:08:00.000-07:002011-07-29T11:22:52.122-07:00DID YOU KNOW?Human beings differ only in 0.1% of their overall DNA; in the other 99.9%, they are identical. One of the ways our DNA differs the most is in the coding for the enzymes that process the majority of the most commonly prescribed drugs. These enzymes vary more than any others known.________________A complete 3 billion base genome would take only 3 gigabytes of storage space, which would fit on Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-37427840251067469562011-07-28T16:05:00.000-07:002011-07-28T16:08:21.693-07:00What is the Medicare Preventive Visit?<!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} b\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--><!--[if pub]> 281 7772400 10058400 259 261 257 276 262 279 1 0`````````````````````` 5 1 0 285 282 1 False 0 0 0 0 -1 304800 243 Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-41087484426397780592011-07-28T16:02:00.000-07:002011-07-28T16:15:00.187-07:00New Plavix Study Confirms Importance of Genetic Testing<!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} b\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--><!--[if pub]> 281 7772400 10058400 259 261 257 276 262 279 1 0`````````````````````` 5 1 0 285 282 1 False 0 0 0 0 -1 304800 243 Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-55393787334807577682011-07-28T15:56:00.000-07:002011-07-28T16:00:17.142-07:00Blood Lines and DNA Differ, Implications for Native Americans<!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} b\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--><!--[if pub]> 281 7772400 10058400 259 261 257 276 262 279 1 0`````````````````````` 5 1 0 285 282 1 False 0 0 0 0 -1 304800 243 Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-88901499881424684542011-03-31T12:33:00.000-07:002011-03-31T12:38:02.839-07:00Coming Home to Die of Drug Interactions The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have returned 40,000 wounded soldiers to the US, the highest number, compared to combat deaths, of any war in history. Another 300,000 or more troops have returned with traumatic brain injury, P.T.S.D. (post traumatic stress disorder), depression, or chronic pain; difficult to treat conditions our troops will likely suffer from for many years. As a result, Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-52850181751146917702011-03-29T12:17:00.000-07:002011-03-31T12:47:38.665-07:00Dangerous Drug-Gene Interactions at a Glance, and Other Report Improvements Although an estimated 6-10% of physicians have ordered genetic tests to personalize prescribing or treatment for patients, the technology is not as widely adopted as many industry experts predicted it would be. Kristine Ashcraft, Genelex’s Director of Sales and Marketing, notes, “one of the key barriers to widespread adoption of personalized prescribing is the interpretation gap—the gap that Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-86431934941840187822011-03-29T12:09:00.000-07:002011-03-31T12:32:26.078-07:00A Family Battle to Overcome Bad Genes for Drug Metabolism This is an abridged version of an article Tom Carlson, owner of HostasDirect and IdealGardenMarkers, is sending to all of his subscribers because he is a staunch advocate for personalized medicine based upon almost tragic personal experiences. It has been known for years that people react differently to medications. There is more than a 50% chance that you have an easily diagnosed drug Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-75203872495049672822011-03-29T12:08:00.000-07:002011-03-29T12:09:08.436-07:00DNA in the NewsThe Innocence Project is currently working to free a man in Virginia who has served over 27 years for three rapes he did not commit; DNA and other evidence prove a known offender actually committed the crimes. Unfortunately, the man was convicted based on witness identification that has proven time and time again to be unreliable. More than 250 people have been exonerated in the last 20 years Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-91052597380000165102011-03-29T11:33:00.000-07:002011-03-29T12:09:33.957-07:00DNA Debates Continue, Strangely Paternity OverlookedDirect-to-consumer (D2C) DNA paternity testing has been missing from the controversy about D2C genetic testing hitting the news lately. The FDA has held multiple public comment sessions on consumer genetics. A task force report commissioned by the American Society for Human Genetics has called for better oversight of ancestry DNA tests. Yet paternity, with arguably the most important impact, has Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-77541512177189467272009-10-01T10:42:00.000-07:002009-10-01T10:44:56.027-07:00Genelex Corporation Launches Tamoxitest which can improve survial rates for thousands of breast cancer patientsOne hundred eighty thousand women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Eighty thousand will start taking the drug tamoxifen to prevent the recurrence of their ER (estrogen receptor) positive breast cancers. The treatment is successful in two-thirds of the women who take it. Genelex Corporation (Seattle) is now offering Tamoxitest™ that could improve this success rate to greater than Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-53558110864633212642009-07-14T09:10:00.000-07:002009-07-27T13:21:22.186-07:00Death of Michael Jackson Illustrates the Danger of Adverse Drug ReactionsThe tragic death of Michael Jackson has the potential to create an important "learning moment" for physicians and patients. According to the Journal of American Medical Association, adverse drug reactions are the "4th to 6th leading cause of death" in the US. The published reports of Mr. Jackson's medications illustrate an important issue- any two drugs may be safe in combination but the Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-25292797927169088032009-07-09T11:13:00.000-07:002009-07-09T11:17:24.771-07:00Genelex Medical Director Co-authors Leading Book on Drug InteractionsGenelex’s Medical Director Dr. Jessica Oesterheld recently co-authored the Clinical Manual of Drug Interaction Principles for Medical Practice with other notable drug interaction experts, Dr. Gary Wynn, Dr. Kelly Cozza, and Dr. Scott Armstrong. Here’s what reviewers are saying:Midwest Book Review: “Filled with complete and comprehensive and up to date research on drug interactions”The wrong Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-25968367866884624382009-06-11T10:38:00.000-07:002009-06-11T10:42:31.343-07:00New study confirms importance of tamoxifen CYP2D6 testingCo-authored by Kristine Ashcraft and Michael Benjamin, M.D at InteractMD.com Mayo study further strengthens the case for genotyping and medication managementIn a presentation at the 31st annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, Mayo clinic researchers further confirmed the importance of the enzyme CYP2D6 in individualizing tamoxifen dosing in breast cancer patients.Tamoxifen is often Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-78898678725279458902009-02-13T11:44:00.000-08:002009-02-13T11:48:45.330-08:00Did You Know?Approximately 95% of the human genome is referred to as “junk DNA” or“non-coding DNA” because it does not directly code for protein molecules as other DNA does. Some believe that non-coding DNA is just an evolutionary artifact and serves no purpose.Others believe that the function is just not yet understood. Recent research has revealed that noncoding DNA may play an important role in regulating Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-91971620777929545072009-01-28T15:54:00.000-08:002009-01-28T15:55:04.352-08:00DNA in the NewsAn Oklahoma man recently made the news because he is still required to pay child support even though genetic testing proved that he was not the father of the child. In Oklahoma, paternity can no longer be contested after the child turns two years old, and the child in question was already five.Laws vary by state. Georgia passed a law in 2002 allowing men to end child support payments if DNA Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-60970194782134719342009-01-27T15:30:00.000-08:002009-01-27T15:45:13.669-08:00Watson, co-discoverer of the DNA helix, has recent African rootsJames Watson, famous DNA pioneer, was found, in a genetic test, to share approximately 16% of his genes with his African ancestors. A percentage this high is typically seen only in people with an African greatgrandparent.The news is of particular interest because Watson drew widespread condemnation in late 2007 after making racist comments about the inferior intelligence of Africans. SpecificallyHealth and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-82113081592556968192009-01-14T10:26:00.000-08:002009-01-14T10:31:14.597-08:00DNA Detective Work : Discretely Resolve Relationship QuestionsThanks to CSI, many people are aware that DNA can be extracted from many samples other than swabs or blood. DNA testing clients use this technology to resolve questions of parentage when discretion is required. DNA is the same in any cell in the body that has a nucleus. So as long as a submitted sample has several intact cells, DNA testing can be performed.Samples that DNA can be extracted from Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-27512559014034473132009-01-13T09:30:00.000-08:002009-01-13T09:32:15.774-08:00Celiac Disease UnderdiagnosedApproximately 90% of Celiac Disease cases go Undetected even though it affects 1 in 100 Americans.Celiac Disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a disorder affecting 1 in 100 Americans. A toxic reaction to gluten (found in barley, wheat, and rye) damages the surface of the smallintestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients. Due to the exceptionally wide range of difficult to Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-11003025918883204662008-12-29T13:30:00.000-08:002008-12-29T13:54:05.299-08:00Breast Cancer SymposiumMayo study further confirms the importance of CYP2D6 for tamoxifen effectiveness building the case for genotyping and medication managementMayo gave a presentation on December 11th at the 31st annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium that further confirms the importance of the liver enzyme CYP2D6 in tamoxifen effectiveness. Tamoxifen is often prescribed to block the effects of estrogen in Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-41081367633099564802008-12-17T08:59:00.000-08:002008-12-17T10:15:07.933-08:00DID YOU KNOW?The genetic code in your DNA breaks down into just four basic building blocks or nucleotides represented by letters: A/adenine, T/thymine, G/guanine, C/cytosineMore than 99% of human DNA sequences are the same across human populations. The main differences occur when a single nucleotide (A,T,C,or G) in the genome sequence is altered.These single letter changes are called single nucleotide Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-27116257276798609002008-12-16T10:13:00.000-08:002008-12-17T16:25:31.871-08:00Only DNA Testing Can Tell. Twins- Identical? Fraternal?Approximately one in every eighty births results in the delivery of twins. Although the misconception persists, the number of placentas cannot determine if same-sex twins are fraternal or identical - only DNA testing can. One third of identical twins have two placentas and more than 40% of fraternal twins have a single, fused placenta.DNA testing to determine if twins are identical or fraternal Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-13423891450685240002008-11-20T16:15:00.000-08:002008-11-20T16:17:48.700-08:00Big Hop ForwardScientists map kangaroo's DNAHealth and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-87711096663072794542008-11-14T16:10:00.000-08:002008-11-14T16:13:32.137-08:00Warfarin DNA Testing Predicted to Save Over One Billion Dollars and Improve Patient SafetyThe AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies released a study in November, Health Care Savings from Personalizing Medicine Using Genetic Testing: The Case of Warfarin that confirms that DNA testing will dramatically improve the safety and effectiveness of Coumadin (warfarin).Warfarin, brand name Coumadin, is a powerful medicine that saves hundreds of thousands of lives every year. It Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-69331415795019713352008-11-10T15:48:00.000-08:002008-11-10T15:51:32.434-08:00DNA & Godfather of SoulThe Godfather of Soul is also a father many times over. In addition to six children of record, three additional children have now been proven to have been fathered by the late soul singer, James Brown. About a dozen DNA tests have been performed since he died in December 2006 of heart failure at the age of 73. Some people have been ruled out as Brown's children, while other tests are still Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-54661085037005846752008-11-07T14:00:00.000-08:002008-11-07T14:01:34.622-08:00DID YOU KNOW?It takes about eight hours for one of your cells to completely copy its DNA.You could fit one million threads of DNA across the period at the end of this sentence.If you were to start reciting the order of the ATCGs in your DNA tomorrow morning, at a rate of 100 each minute, 57 years would pass before you reached the end (provided that you did not stop to eat, drink, sleep, use the bathroom etc.)Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-85984713244364293082008-11-04T19:02:00.000-08:002008-11-04T19:02:17.386-08:00DNA testing helps pinpoint treatments for cancer patients | Cancer Free Washington | KING5.com | News for Seattle, WashingtonDNA testing helps pinpoint treatments for cancer patients Cancer Free Washington KING5.com News for Seattle, WashingtonHealth and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-3525468556276221362008-10-31T15:29:00.000-07:002008-10-31T15:33:09.206-07:00Mitochondrial DNA Tests—What Else Can They Reveal?Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing is now commonly being used to trace female ancestry. MtDNA is passed only from a mother to her children so it gives us the unique ability to glance back in time at our female lineage; some people even use this test to confirm a suspected common female ancestor such as a great-great grandmother. When genetic scientists examine mtDNA; they compare two portions Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-58135121597557715182008-10-29T14:47:00.001-07:002008-11-08T10:50:54.721-08:00BREAST CANCER PATIENTS TAKE DNA TESTNearly one third of breast cancer patients prescribed tamoxifen currently fail treatment. According to the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR), this failure rate can be reduced to less than ten percent, saving 20,000 lives each year, by having patients take a simple DNA test and properly managing their medications.Recent research shows that tamoxifen has to be activated into endoxifen Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-71964073585506231852008-10-27T12:27:00.000-07:002008-10-27T12:31:13.961-07:00DNA Testing Advances Aid In Depression TreatmentAlmost one third of Americans currently take antidepressant medications and many have had problems finding the right drug and dose. This is not surprising to people that study genetics - research shows that of all the clinical factors such as age, sex, weight, general health and liver function that alter a patient's response to drugs, genetic factors are the most important.Psychological disordersHealth and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852183213063183529.post-27406383746756412242008-10-24T16:17:00.000-07:002008-10-24T16:18:15.588-07:00DNA Testing Helps Unwed Military Parents Get BenefitsGenelex has been assisting military personnel since our inception in 1987. We offer a 10% military discount on all of our DNA testing services to any person with a current military i.d. Although this discount is typically used for paternity testing, it also applies to our DNA Drug Safety, ancestry, nutritional genetic, and predictive genetic testing.If the child of a military father is born when Health and DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16136647680142112616noreply@blogger.com0