new era in medicine
socialbites.ca became aware of the registration of the first genetic test in Russia by Roszdravnadzor on the basis that doctors can recommend a certain lifestyle to the patient according to his own metabolism, regulated by the work of genes. . Roszdravnadzor authorized the use of the Metabolic Kit 60 reagent kit for medical purposes, designed to determine the predisposition to diseases and genetic disorders of metabolic processes in the human body.
The test can be used to determine the characteristics of taste perception, vitamin metabolism, abnormalities in the detoxification system and sex hormones, the specificity of carbohydrate, lipid and energy metabolism, as well as the work of neurotransmitters, lactase deficiency, predisposition. the development of osteoporosis, cardiovascular and other diseases. Registered by Roszdravnadzor, Metabolic Kit 60 contains 60 different sets of reagents, each of which identifies polymorphisms in certain genes that have already been studied by science.
“We’ve provided doctors with an important tool for preventive medicine,” said Valery Polunovsky, head of new product development at MyGenetics (the company that created the kit), in an interview with socialbites.ca. “Previously, there were kits that could only diagnose pre-existing diseases. You can now identify predispositions. Let’s say it is clear that the development of cardiovascular disease depends on many factors. But thanks to our testing, doctors and patients will now be aware of these factors and be able to influence them.”
According to Valery Polunovsky, genes with polymorphisms associated with various predispositions were selected by the expert scientific council of MyGenetics. The opinion of the expert council was submitted to the Ministry of Health, which confirmed its accuracy.
MyGenetics scientists analyzed scientific meta-analyses with a high degree of evidence to select genes for testing. And these studies have been carried out all over the world. The conclusions were drawn on the basis of the data of two biobanks: English with information about 550 thousand people and Chinese for 300 thousand. This was necessary as Russia had both European and Asian populations.
What can be learned from the test?
“Metabolic Kit 60” contains a detailed analysis of various predispositions, on the basis of which it is possible to choose the right nutritional behavior, sports, dosage and the most suitable form of certain drugs and vitamins for assimilation.
The test has a special kit called “Genetics of Vitamin Metabolism”. It may be suitable for those who want to prevent diseases due to vitamin deficiency and excess. These are thromboses, cardiovascular diseases, anemia. In addition, a deficiency of certain vitamins, such as vitamin B12, can greatly affect memory.
“I have a mutation in the gene that codes for B12. When I passed the genetic test, I was told that this vitamin is not absorbed in my gut, that I can only inject it into the muscles or spray it under the tongue. This is very important information.” – MyGenetics manager Vladimir Volobuev told socialbites.ca.
Similar mutations can affect the absorption of other vitamins.
“With vitamin A deficiency, vision deteriorates, wetting of the cornea deteriorates. No wonder, Volobuev, in childhood we were told that for vision we should drink carrot juice, which contains carotenoids. – Vitamin A enters the body as carotenoids and is encoded by the BCMO1 gene, the enzyme that converts vitamin A from carotenoids to retinol, which is consumed by cells. And if there is a mutation in this gene, no matter how much carrot juice you drink, the inner vitamin A cannot enter your cells. This can be established with our testing.”
It can also be used to understand how serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are destroyed in the human brain, and from there, the person’s susceptibility to depression, neurodegenerative diseases, ADHD, etc. conclusions can be drawn about To do this, you need to use the kit “Genetics of the metabolism of neurotransmitters.”
The “genetics of the detoxification system” is suitable for those who want to know their susceptibility to reactions to foreign components in food and the atmosphere.
The Genetics of Energy Metabolism will help evaluate susceptibility to obesity and the effectiveness of various dietary recommendations, such as a high protein diet or intermittent fasting.
“There are specific clinical trials for this that show how a particular gene relates to various diets,” Polunovsky said. – And our “Genetics of Taste Perception” kit will help you choose the right diet.
You can also assess your athletic ability and your risk of future injury. To do this, you will need the “Genetics of athletic abilities” and “Genetics of connective tissue” kits. You can also choose a specific type of activity for the right weight loss.
“There are genes that encode the oxygenation of the heart muscle. It depends on the saturation rate. Knowing this will allow you to choose physical activity to lose weight without straining the heart. One needs to pedal for 40 minutes. And for someone in the same 40 minutes it is better to do five approaches to the bar, but at high density. According to the results of our test, accurate recommendations can be obtained, ”explained Volobuev.
The genes will also help determine whether boxing or long-distance running is worth it. Or the idea should be abandoned because of the risk of multiple injury or myocardial hypertrophy.
“Genetics of Sex Hormone Metabolism” will assist in estimating the risk of developing various hormone-dependent cancers and in selecting replacement therapy.
It’s the same story with the choice of statins, a group of drugs whose action is aimed at lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. To do this, select the set “Genetics of lipid metabolism”.
Fortune telling on genes
Independent genetic scientists interviewed by socialbites.ca doubt the accuracy of interpreting the results of the Metabolic Kit 60 genetic test, as there is still not enough information about genes and their effect on the metabolism of the human body.
“Any genome sequencing provides a lot of food for interpretation,” Pavel Volchkov, head of the MIPT genome engineering laboratory, said in an interview with socialbites.ca. – There are passenger mutations – scientists do not yet know what they affect. There are the more obvious loss-of-function and gain-of-function mutations. But in total, we can find between 2 and 12 million differences in a normal genome. And the meaning of many of these differences – namely polymorphisms – is still unknown to scientists. There are millions of polymorphisms identified. If you choose 60 or even 300 of these, you’ll still have a sea of options that matter and possibly vice versa.
A similar view is shared by the researcher of genes associated with alcoholism, Doctor of Biological Sciences, and head of the genome analysis laboratory at the Institute of General Genetics named after him. NI Vavilov RAS Svetlana Borinskaya.
“Academician Yevgeny Konstantinovich Ginter, who has been the director of the Medical Genetics Research Center, which is the leading institution of our country for many years, called such tests “fortune telling on genes”. Because in addition to the genes controlled by this test, there are many more genes that affect these traits,” Borinskaya said in an interview with socialbites.ca. “This is interesting for basic research, because it shows the metabolic pathways involved in the development of a particular disease, but it’s not enough to look at 60 of the 20,000 genes a given person has. You can imagine there are 1,000 more genes moving in the other direction, but scientists do this they don’t know yet.
According to Borinskaya, these test-controlled genes increase the risk of developing the disease by 3%, sometimes 10-15%, but not several times. Borinskaya says these are not genes that should be used by a professional to make a reliable prediction.
However, there are genes where mutations are most likely to cause diseases, and it makes sense to learn about them.
“For example, it is useful to examine the BRCA gene, a mutation found in Angelina Jolie. In carriers of such a mutation, breast cancer begins 10-15 years earlier and develops 80% during their lifetime. This is really serious, that’s why this type of genetic analysis is used in medicine. There are gene variants that determine the rate at which drugs are metabolized. And therefore, such a drug as the anticoagulant “Warfarin” in the United States is prescribed taking into account genetic characteristics. The dose can change several times, ”said Borinskaya.
If doctors are unable to diagnose for a long time, in his opinion, it is worth resorting to the test in question. Perhaps the test will give doctors a clue. And as for the recommendations for the optimal lifestyle, for people they are almost the same: reduce the amount of sweet, salty and fatty foods, increase physical activity. This can be said without testing.