We are so excited to welcome dnalife® to Rupa Health! We had a great conversation with Dr. Danny Meyersfeld, Lab Director at dnalife®, to learn more about the company and the tests they offer.
Introducing dnalife®!
Hello, Dr. Meyersfeld! We are so excited to chat with you today. To start, can you tell us a little about how dnalife® got started?
dnalife® was founded in 2010 as a joint venture between Nordic Laboratories and DNAlysis Biotechnology, with a vision to enhance the field of precision medicine and make DNA testing an integral part of clinical practice.
That's amazing! We are seeing more and more practitioners adding DNA testing into their practice; we know it can be beneficial for so many different conditions. What are the main areas practitioners are using your tests to explore?
Practitioners use our tests to investigate overall wellness, chronic disease, mental health, and weight management. We have a wide variety of practitioners ordering from us, including doctors, nutritionists, dietitians, and functional medicine practitioners.
Fantastic! What are your most commonly ordered tests?
DNA Health, DNA Diet, and DNA Mind are the most commonly ordered tests. These tests cover a wide range of health markers and provide insights into weight management, chronic disease risk, and cognitive and mental well-being.
A key differentiator of our reports is the actionable insights that we provide. These tests empower the end-user to manage their health risks better and take more responsibility for their health.
Amazing! As a patient myself, I know that these insights are so beneficial for patients as they move forward in their health journey.
What technology do you use to run these tests?
SNP genotyping using real-time PCR. This is a commonly used laboratory method that selectively amplifies specific regions of the genome to identify the specific nucleotides (bases) present in that region. These different "versions" of the code that we carry are what ultimately determine the different health risks that we have, and our responsiveness to different environmental triggers.
Excellent! Are you all working on any new tests right now?
We are in the process of developing a test for breast cancer risk that will rely on a polygenic risk score in combination with a questionnaire on modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors. The outcome of the report makes recommendations as to the most suitable age to begin screening for breast cancer and the risk of spontaneous/sporadic breast cancer as compared to the general population.
That is amazing!
Dr. Meyersfeld, you have been in the functional medicine industry for a while. What is your favorite part about this industry?
I enjoy seeing the massive influence that these tests can have on the health of those who do them. Receiving testimonials and case studies from our doctor network motivates us to continue developing and improving our offering.
How do you think dnalife®, and the industry as a whole, will evolve in the future?
Everything we do is driven by our desire to change global healthcare. We want to transform lives and improve the world we live in through the power of personalized medicine. In the future, we envision that these tests will become an integral part of routine clinical practice and indispensable to the healthcare practitioner trying to manage the health of their patient.
Yes! I agree. I think genetic testing will continue to become a bigger and bigger part of routine healthcare. There is so much we can learn from our genes!
Dr. Meyersfeld, we appreciate you taking the time to speak with us! We look forward to growing our partnership with dnalife®.
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