Genetic diagnoses efficiently and reliably
Reaching a correct genetic diagnosis in a timely manner allows for appropriate disease management and can significantly improve a patient’s quality of life. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) is a robust and one of the most comprehensive genetic tests for identifying the disease-causing changes in a large variety of genetic disorders.
In WES, protein-coding regions of all genes (approximately 20,000) of the human genome, known as the exome, are sequenced using next-generation sequencing technologies. While the exome constitutes only approximately 1% of the whole genome, 85% of all disease-causing mutations are located there.
Indeed, WES has not only been successful in the identification of new disease genes but is also a powerful method in clinical settings to identify the molecular basis of genetic disorders across various medical specialties.
The diagnostic yield of WES is higher than some traditional gene diagnostic methods. A definite diagnosis is typically obtained in 20% to 60% of cases, depending on the medical specialty, with severe, early-onset disorders having the highest diagnostic rates (The Deciphering Developmental Disorders Study 2014 Nature; Farwell et al. 2015 Genetics in Medicine; Stark et al. 2016 Genetics in Medicine).
Who benefits the most from WES?
WES is most suitable for individuals with:
- A complex, unspecific genetic disorder with multiple differential diagnoses
- A genetically heterogeneous disorder
- A suspected genetic disorder where a specific genetic test is not available
- Unsuccessful previous genetic testing