Kerala-based startup comes up with genome-based technology to predict critical illness
Sep 14, 2021
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 15 : A Kerala-based startup has come up with genome-based technology that uses saliva to analyse a person's genetic disposition to predict critical diseases, to which an individual is prone to, thereby preventing it through precision medicine.
Incubated at the Integrated Startup Complex of the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in Kochi, SAGENOME has already rolled out a "Home Saliva Collection Kit" at the national level, besides offering multiple genome-based tests.
The collected samples are currently analysed at the BioNest Biotechnology Business Development Incubator at ISC and under a service agreement at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) till its own facility is ready at the Life Sciences Park in Thiruvananthapuram.
The startup SAGENOME was set up by Dr M Ayyappan, former CMD of HLL Lifecare Limited (HLL), and Dr M Radhakrishna Pillai, former Director of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology.
"The saliva collected by using the kit allows analysing thousands of variations in the human genome. It sets the ground for personalized healthcare by identifying patterns within genetic data sets so that computer models can make predictions about an individual's odds of developing a disease. It will thus help in suggesting suitable medicinal interventions and changes in lifestyles," Dr Pillai said.
Ayyappan said that the platform provides genetic information associated with cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, reproductive health and infertility management, pharmacogenomics and pro-active health management.
"SAGENOME will set new paradigms in personalized health care and is developing innovative methods for early cancer detection using an easily-collected 'liquid biopsy' from a blood sample that may be over 100 times more sensitive in detection and monitoring of many tumors," he said.
Dr Pillai also said the platform OhMyGene is also helpful for the personalized genetic wellness programmes specifically in nutrition, skin, hair health and high-performance sport.
"Personalized nutrition through nutrigenomics will tremendously aid the use of functional foods and supplements based on a person's genomic information," he added.
