PerkinElmer Inc, Waltham, Mass, has expanded its whole-genome sequencing (WGS) services to families that preserve their cord blood and cord tissue using the company’s ViaCord tissue preservation service. The launch follows the company’s recent introduction of its clinical WGS services.
Parents that use PerkinElmer’s cord blood and cord tissue preservation services have access to a physician-ordered WGS test of their child’s DNA via a simple saliva test. The test examines a broad range of disease-related genes and provides diagnostic findings related to pediatric onset diseases. Additionally, the test reports on pharmacogenetic variants used to optimize certain drug selections.
Morey Kraus, PhD, ViaCord.
“WGS is another great opportunity for families to identify and prepare for important health concerns, positioning themselves to benefit from the fast-moving area of personalized medicine,” says Morey Kraus, PhD, chief scientific officer at ViaCord. “We have seen tremendous progress using cord blood stem cells to treat disease, and I expect families who make such health-conscious decisions to benefit from WGS as well.
“Additionally, with the rapid progress we’ve seen with regenerative medicine and gene editing, insights from WGS may be used in the future, in combination with a family’s cord blood and cord tissue, to optimize the design of a treatment plan,” Kraus adds. “This is a very exciting next new step in advancing personalized medicine.”
ViaCord has preserved the umbilical cord stem cells of more than 350,000 newborns and released more than 360 cord blood units for treatment and clinical research studies. It has released more than 200 cord blood units for use in the treatment of nearly 80 diseases, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia and sickle cell disease, and more than 150 cord blood units for use in clinical research studies of diseases such as cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder.
For more information, visit PerkinElmer.
