Precision medicine integrating whole-genome sequencing, comprehensive metabolomics, and advanced imaging
Ying‐Chen Claire Hou, Hung‐Chun Yu, Rick Martin, Elizabeth T. Cirulli, Natalie M. Schenker-Ahmed, Michael Hicks, Isaac Cohen, Thomas J. Jönsson, Robyn Heister, Lori Napier, Christine Leon Swisher, Saints Dominguez, Haibao Tang, Weizhong Li, Bradley A. Perkins, Jaime Barea, Christina Rybak, Emily Smith, Keegan Duchicela, Michael Doney, Pamila Brar, Nathaniel Hernandez, Ewen F. Kirkness, Andrew M. Kahn, J. Craig Venter, David S. Karow, C. Thomas Caskey
Abstract
Significance To understand the value and clinical impact of surveying genome-wide disease-causing genes and variants, we used a prospective cohort study design that enrolled volunteers who agreed to have their whole genome sequenced and to participate in deep phenotyping using clinical laboratory tests, metabolomics technologies, and advanced noninvasive imaging. The genomic results are integrated with the phenotype results. Approximately 1 in 6 adult individuals (17.3%) had genetic findings and, when integrated with deep phenotyping data, including family/medical histories with genetic findings, 1 in 9 (11.5%) had genotype and phenotype associations. Genomics and metabolomics association analysis revealed 5.1% of heterozygotes with phenotype manifestations affecting serum metabolite levels. We report observations from our study in which health outcomes and benefits were not measured.