DNA Genotek recently announced that an international team of researchers used the Oragene•DNA product to investigate a genetic link to podoconiosis, a neglected tropical disease. Podoconiosis is a disease occurring in individuals exposed to red clay soil derived from volcanic rock in tropical Africa, Central America and Northwest India. Podoconiosis occurs in barefooted farmers and other occupational groups where exposure to volcanic soil is common. Characteristics of the disease include swelling of the foot and lower leg which progresses to elephantiasis, having a severe impact on mobility and quality of life for those affected. The photograph on the right shows a patient with an advanced case of the disease.
Dr. Melanie Newport, Professor in Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK and Dr. Gail Davey, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University co-lead the study. They found that Oragene was very well suited to this type of research.
Dr. Newport stated, "Collecting DNA samples in rural Ethiopia would be a tremendous challenge without Oragene•DNA. The saliva-based product was easy-to-use and completely non-invasive, which allowed us to collect from as many individuals as possible. The product provides high quality DNA and is stable at ambient temperatures, which is ideal for collection in a tropical environment."
We feel this is important news to share for a number of reasons:
- Podoconiosis affects more people than HIV infection, TB or filarial elphantiasis in the affected regions.
- Podoconiosis is a neglected and under-researched condition.
- An estimated one million Ethiopians are afflicted with podoconiosis. This creates a huge economic burden in endemic areas as it often leads to unemployment for those who suffer from severe cases.
- The burden of the disease has been shown to fall in the most economically active sector of the population, having a severe impact on productivity.
- Social stigma against people with podoconiosis is rife.
- People with podoconiosis lose 45% of total productive work days when compared to unaffected people, costing a single zone of 1.5 million inhabitants more than US$16 million per year. Podoconiosis thus contributes significantly to poverty in affected communities.
If you take a moment to consider the facts above, it's obvious that the scale of the problem is overwhelming in affected regions. However, podoconiosis is unique in that it is an entirely preventable non-communicable disease. Primary prevention of podoconiosis consists of avoidance of prolonged contact between the skin and irritant soils. This may be achieved with use of robust footwear. Secondary prevention takes the form of training in foot hygiene and use of socks and shoes. Compression bandaging is effective in reducing the size of the soft type of swelling. Progression can be completely averted if these measures are strictly adhered to, but compliance must be life-long as there is no cure for the condition.
If you'd like to learn more, you can visit The Mossy Foot Treatment and Prevention Association web site (podoconiosis is also referred to as mossy foot disease). You'll find more information on the condition and learn how you can help.
In the meantime, we'll be waiting to hear from Drs. Newport and Davey as they complete the analysis of the DNA samples. When they identify the gene or genes involved, we'll be sure to let you know here in The Genetic Link.
People often think of genetic research and testing as a solely human pursuit but scientists and clinicians often study animals and plants as well. Genetic researchers and clinicians study models of animal disease in animals as well as human diseases with animal models.
One such researcher is Dr. Katherine Mitsouras, PhD, of the Western University of Health Sciences. She recently published new research on the use of saliva as an alternative source of high yield canine DNA for genotyping studies. Animal researchers and pet owners alike will be pleased with the results of this research.
According to Dr. Mitsouras: "The domestic dog presents an attractive model system for the study of the genetic basis of disease. The development of resources such as the canine genome sequence and SNP genotyping platforms has allowed for the implementation of canine genetic studies. Successful implementation of such studies depends not only on the quality of individual DNA samples, but also on the number of samples obtained."
The objective of the study was to compare the yield and quality of DNA obtained from matched buccal swab, blood and Oragene•ANIMAL saliva samples. The performance of these samples was assessed for use on PCR-based downstream applications.
The study determined that DNA yields from canine saliva are higher than those from blood or buccal swabs (see Table 1 for details). The quality of DNA extracted from saliva is sufficient for successful amplification of a 1.1-kb fragment and for accurate SNP genotyping by PCR-RFLP. Therefore, saliva presents a non-invasive alternative source of high quantities of canine genomic DNA suitable for genotyping studies.
For researchers, veterinarians and pet owners, this is exciting news. In short, using Oragene•ANIMAL improves animal well-being and facilitates ethical approvals with painless and non-invasive sample collection.
saliva-based collection methods are easy-to-use and reliable for use by pet owners or trained professionals in any collection environment: in the clinic, in the field or at home
researchers can increase the number of samples collected and reduce collection cost and complexity by sending kits via the mail - no special shipping or handling is required
study compliance can be increased and costly and inconvenient clinic visits required for a blood draw can be eliminated
Everyone at DNA Genotek congratulates Dr. Mitsouras on the publication of this research. A full case study on this research is also available.
Since the inception of DNA Genotek, we have been driven to enable significant worldwide health improvements and to create a loyal community of customers. In our early days, we learned from customers that DNA and RNA collection can be challenging. With an aim to facilitate easier collection, we worked closely with customers to solve these challenges with thoughtful product design and a focus on ease of sample collection. Our customers tell us we've done this successfully with our Oragene family of saliva-based DNA and RNA collection products.
As the CEO of DNA Genotek (by the way, I'm the guy on the right in the photograph), I'm so proud that the Oragene family of products has helped our customers achieve scientific breakthroughs in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy, autism, mental health disorders, tropical disease and more. I'm also proud of the growing number of customers bundling Oragene into their testing or service offering. This year we expanded our product line to include DNA collection from animals and there's more to come. I couldn't be more excited.
After 5 years of providing the Oragene family of products for DNA and RNA collection from saliva, we decided it was time to start blogging about it. Today we are pleased to announce the launch of our official company blog, The Genetic Link. Through this blog, we hope to add our thoughts regularly on topics related to DNA and RNA sample collection. You'll hear from multiple people across many functional areas within our organization and get to know them through this blog.
We hope
The Genetic Link will become a place where we can share important news with our customers, potential customers, partner companies and all others interested in topics and issues related to DNA and RNA sample collection, stabilization and preparation. It will cover the latest news about DNA Genotek and offer posts to help our customers get high compliance with their research studies, commercial studies, and with genetic testing. We'll also offer advice on how to achieve the best possible results with your DNA and RNA samples. In addition, we'll share our thoughts on what's happening in genetics.
If you'd like to see us write about a particular topic or if you'd like to contribute to a blog article, just let us know. We invite you to subscribe to this blog and to share the information with your colleagues.
From all of us at DNA Genotek, welcome. We look forward to reading your comments and feedback.
Earlier this year, one of our customers took advantage of a unique opportunity and turned it into a successful DNA collection event. Without advance planning, this customer was able to set up an impromptu DNA collection clinic, access volunteers who met the required profile for the research, and complete collection all in one day. Sound impossible? It's not if you're the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario and you have Oragene•DNA kits.
The Hospital was treating an 11-year-old female patient of Sri Lankan Tamil descent who needed gene therapy treatment to save her sight. The girl had been diagnosed with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a retinal disorder usually diagnosed soon after birth. Doctors at the hospital needed to confirm that a genetic mutation believed to be the cause of the condition was uncommon among Sri Lankan Tamils. If they could do that, the girl would remain in a gene therapy trial that could improve her sight, however, the deadline to have the DNA samples collected and tested was imminent.
Researchers at the hospital needed a control group of at least 50 Sri Lankan Tamils willing to provide a DNA sample. If the genetic mutation was common among the control group, the research team would know it is not causing the girls' disease and they could proceed with the gene therapy treatment. This would be a daunting task for any researcher but the looming deadline made it a unique challenge.
Coincidently, that week hundreds, sometimes thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils were protesting on a street near the hospital. With consent forms and Oragene•DNA kits (to collect saliva) in hand, the team from the Hospital for Sick Children went to the protest to ask for volunteers to provide a DNA sample. In a short period of time, the researchers were able to get the required 50 control samples and complete the research.
This kind of DNA collection would not have been possible without a product like Oragene•DNA. Imagine going to this protest and trying to convince the participants to leave the protest, go to the hospital and provide a blood sample. The likelihood of success would have been significantly reduced if not completely eliminated.
At DNA Genotek, we always enjoy hearing what our customers are doing with our product. This story made us so proud of this customer's achievements. I hope this story inspires you to think of new and innovative ways of collecting DNA or RNA. Have you done something unique to collect DNA samples? Do you have an idea for DNA collection that hasn't been done before? Let us know about it -- we'd love to include it in our blog.
Photo: Retina photo of a patient with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Photo courtesy of National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health