Predicting Your Future Diseases

Imagine having a chance to find out which diseases you’re likely to suffer from in the future.

That’s what UAE firm Eastern Biotech is offering. It’s joined forces with gene labs in the USA and France to carry out predictive genetic tests for patients in the UAE.

And all it takes is a simple blood test or some mouthwash swirled around your gums, put into a test tube and shipped abroad for testing.

Within three weeks patients receive a comprehensive report on the future of their health.

"Predictive Genomics is the talk of the day because it gives you a foresight about the diseases you are likely to develop. Today people don’t want to be diagnosed with the disease, they want to be warned and take precautions beforehand," said Dr Sanjida Ahmad, Director of Research at Eastern Biotech and Life Sciences.

Dr Ahmad claimed Eastern Biotech is the only company carrying out these tests in the UAE.

The tests can trace diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular illness, osteoporosis, stroke, endothelial dysfunction, arthritis and even mood disorders.

Dr Ahmad said the predictions are 99.9 per cent accurate because the test is done by tracing the mutations in one’s genes.

"Not only are the tests accurate, but cancer detection tests can actually identify tumour markers before usual procedures like mammograms because nothing less than a one-cm to two-cm lump can be diagnosed by a mammogram. It is as good as tracing the origin of cancer."

Zors Khori, 37, a pharmacist and smoker for over 20 years, said: "The thought that I might get lung cancer kept me awake for nights. Finally I took the test and was relieved to find that I had no tumour markers."

Khori stopped smoking after the report because he understood that while he did not have the disease at the time of testing, it could occur at a later stage.

Dr Ahmad said the reports indicate the present scenario of the body, and people need to take care of their lifestyle, especially if there are hereditary factors involved.

One could argue about the usefulness of this test given that most people already know that they may be prone to developing diseases that their parents have.

But Dr Ahmad said: "It is not necessary that because your parents have some disease you will also have the same mutative genes. It is possible to develop diseases that are not there in the family history. Lifestyle and environmental factors also cause diseases.

"Every single gene is responsible for a specific function to balance the regulatory mechanism of the body. Any single mutation in a gene can alter the function of that gene giving rise to a disease condition. Genomic profiling identifies these changes."

Dr Ahmad said the human genome project in the USA has given birth to these new technologies and that these tests are only the beginning.

"There are more than 40,000 genes in our body and every gene is related to some bodily function. Scientists are finding out more about this each day and this is only the beginning of such predictive tests."

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Do It Now

Early cancer detection test Dh2,950

For checking specific organ (e.g. lungs) Dh1,850

• Blood test required
• Covers 11 types of cancer
• Results in seven days

Genovations test (genetic profiling) Dh1,400-Dh2,400

• Choose the type of test based on family history and lifestyle changes
• Blood sample or home kit test required. Samples of the saliva needed for home test kit
• Results in three weeks

Predictive Genomics

• Give your blood sample or take a home test. For the home test – Rinse your mouth with mouthwash and collect it in a test tube
• Eastern Biotech in the UAE will send your blood sample or test tube (which now contains your DNA) to a lab in the US or France
• The lab studies your genes to see if there are any disorders that can lead to a disease
• Within 21 days of submitting your sample, you will get a comprehensive report on the future of your health