President's Corner - Clinical DNA Banking
Published on
DNA Banking is probably the most underappreciated and underutilized component of Genomic Medicine. In the United States alone, about 7,500 people die each day without leaving a DNA specimen. This is a terrible loss.
As geneticists, we all know the great value of family studies for variant interpretation. This is why we prefer trios to solos for exome sequencing and why we recommend targeted testing of family members when we encounter uncertain variants in the probands. Yet once a person is buried or cremated, it is very difficult or impossible to obtain a DNA specimen, and this vital information is lost forever.
To my knowledge, PreventionGenetics is the only major DNA testing lab that runs a clinical DNA Bank. Our Bank has been in operation now for 23 years. Nearly all withdrawals from the Bank have been for DNA testing purposes and have been from deceased depositors. DNA Banking is simple and inexpensive. In large scale, it can cost <$50 per patient. If performed by a reputable lab, the process is completely safe and secure.
DNA Banking is most important for the elderly and terminally ill. These are the people at greatest risk of losing this valuable resource. We should also begin to routinely bank the DNA of newborns. After the umbilical cord is cut, it’s easy to collect a small volume of cord blood for DNA extraction without any possible harm to the baby. Gradually, DNA Banking can be extended to all patients.
I urge all of our clients to start a DNA Banking program at their institutions as soon as possible. Let’s stop this terrible waste of familial DNA. PreventionGenetics is willing and able to help.