From Our Experts: World Tuberculosis Day 2017
Pooja Ramchandran is a pioneer in the field of genetic counselling in India and VP Genetic Counselling at MapmyGenome. She has been practising clinical genetic counselling in India since graduating from Johns Hopkins University in 2008. Being the first genetic counsellor in the country with a formal degree in genetic counselling, she is committed to establishing the genetic counselling profession in India.
On World Tuberculosis Day, she shares her expert’s view:
“The future of TB management is a quick and comprehensive DNA-based test that will identify strains and inform drug choice without the need of a sophisticated lab.” — Pooja Ramchandran, VP Genetic Counselling, MapmyGenome
TB and Genomics: The Connection
Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases — and India carries the highest TB burden globally. The emergence of drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB and XDR-TB) has made rapid, accurate diagnosis more critical than ever.
DNA-based diagnostic tests — such as GeneXpert and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of TB strains — are revolutionising TB management by:
Identifying the specific TB strain within hours, not weeks
Detecting drug resistance mutations that inform treatment choice
Enabling personalised treatment regimens that improve outcomes and reduce the spread of drug-resistant strains
MapmyGenome manufactures CE-certified TB diagnostic kits — contributing to India’s fight against TB through rapid, accurate, DNA-based diagnostics.
DNA-Based Diagnostics for a Healthier India
MapmyGenome offers a full range of molecular diagnostics — from TB diagnostic kits to Whole Exome Sequencing and certified genetic counselling. Backed by a CAP & NABL-accredited laboratory.
