A new model genetic testing kit could soon be procurable in the doctor's office or the drugstore to test for infection and adverse drug responses.
A new model genetic testing kit could soon be procurable in the doctor's office or the drugstore to test for infection and adverse drug responses. Researchers at LGC (Laboratory of the Government Chemist) have been working to produce a DNA test kit which uses saliva, blood or urine samples and produces results within 15 to 20 minutes.
The device has been made small the size of a shoebox for ease of use in doctors' offices or drugstores. Initially, it's thought that it will be used to test for viral DNA, to see what kind of infection the patient has. But it could also be applied to prescribing. Some people have variants of genes for liver enzymes that mean it's hard for them to break down certain drugs. If they could be identified easily, the doctor could avoid prescribing these particular drugs and spare the patient the adverse effects.
