Friday, May 12, 2023
Tesis Biosciences, the leader in targeted genetic sequencing, has developed a new test that identifies the genetic mutations that puts people in the greatest danger from the Covid-19 virus.
Widespread use of the tests could save hundreds of thousands of lives and lessen the severity of the illness in others by identifying the need for early and aggressive treatment and encouraging those who are susceptible to take precautions against
contracting the disease, according to Divyen H. Patel, Ph.D., chief research officer
at Tesis Biosciences.
"This new test uses data from more than 50 studies conducted by scientists worldwideand is a groundbreaking advancement in our understanding of why some people are more impacted by Covid-19 than others," said Patel. "It will become an important tool inour campaign to better understand and control this horrible disease.
" According to the World Health Organization, worldwide there has been more than 765million confirmed cases of Covid-19 and nearly seven million reported deaths, including1.12 million in the U.S. While most people who contract Covid-19 do not become seriously ill, a percentage die, suffer severe symptoms, or develop so-called "longCovid," in which symptoms persist for years. While comorbidities such as age, aweakened immune system, and underlying health conditions like heart disease and obesity can contribute to Covid-19 morbidity and mortality, the reasons why somepatients, many of which are not seemingly at risk, are asymptomatic while othersfaremuch worse have remained a mystery.
Unlike previous studies which were limited to a small number of genes, the Tesisgenome-wide association study examined all 3.2 billion DNA base pairs to identifyall factors impacting outcomes. Tesis has identified approximately 60 specific singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that play a determining role and has further refined the search to an even smaller subset of specific SNPs that, when all present, are linkedt o cases of death and severe illness from Covid-19.
The mutations that Tesis has compiled following years of research is estimated to be present in 1-3% of the population, though that figure could change with additional screening. Though its relation to Covid-19 infections is not fully understood, the mutations are all associated with genes involved with the body's early response to an initial infection. The malfunction of these genes is thought to escalate the secondary immune response, most often observed as "cytokine storm," which creates high levels of inflammation that can be harmful and even deadly.
"Even without knowing the exact relationship between the mutations and severeCovid- 19 response, the test can identify and protect those in the greatest danger," saidPatel. "We expect Covid-19 to remain active with additional variants emerging regularly, andthis test should be a part of regular screening of the population so those who aremost susceptible to its worst outcomes can take necessary precautions to avoid the disease and seek aggressive treatment early if needed.
" Tesis has already filed for patent protection on this unique assay, and the company will apply for accelerated FDA approval of the test by early summer.
SOURCE: Tesis Biosciences
