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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by linkadge on August 19, 2021, at 17:20:10
So, I understand that genetic testing is unlikely to reveal any revolutionary findings that can guide treatment but ....
I decided to get a 23andme genetic report. This will give me access to my data file. I will then take this to something like Prometheus which will let me sift through various genes.
The ones I am most interested in are:
- methylfolate
- MAO-A activity
- SERT activity
- CACNA1 (calcium channels)
- ANK3 (bipolar - sodium / calcium channels)
- circadian rhythm genes
- anything else that comes upIt will take a few weeks to get results. I'll let you know if I uncover anything useful.
Linkadge
Posted by Jay2112 on August 21, 2021, at 19:28:10
In reply to Getting genetic testing done, posted by linkadge on August 19, 2021, at 17:20:10
Hi Linkadge:
That is so awesome...as I will be doing the same later next month! Now, you are educated as a science major and teacher, correct? ( I took the lazy person's route and got a BEd in Adult Education...lol Can't teach grade school, but do at the college and university level.)
Anyhow, could you recommend a testing company, and possibly help with my results? (I will try to PM you on here...can you please turn that option 'on'?)
Thanks kindly,
Jay
Posted by linkadge on August 22, 2021, at 12:09:49
In reply to Re: Getting genetic testing done » linkadge, posted by Jay2112 on August 21, 2021, at 19:28:10
Hi Jay,
Yeah, I did go to school for science BSc and am eligible to teach it but I have strayed away from teaching full time because of mental health issues. To 'make it' in the public system you have to be willing to teach some of the 'less savory' students for years and years before getting a chance to teach anything interesting. I was offered a full time science teaching job in Ontario, but turned it down for these reasons. So, I do some part time gigs plus math / science tutoring and online tutoring. It's working for now. This being said, I took far more courses in math and physics than biology / chemistry. However, due to my mental illness, I like to learn as much as I can with regards to mental health.
I paid $129 with 23ANDME. The kit should arrive next week, and once it's returned and processed I will have access to the data. There are other companies which will offer this service but I haven't fully compared them. 23ANDME analyzes 600,000 SNPS (single nucleotide polymorphisms). This is not the entire DNA. Much human DNA is identical from person to person and only a small portion varies from individual to individual. 23ANDME claims to analyze the medically relevant SNPS, but some companies offer more.
The $129 package essentially just gives me my DNA data (no analysis). But I can take this to another site (like Prometheus) (for $12) they will give you some more information.
Here is a link to the kind of info that Prometheus provides:
https://files.snpedia.com/reports/promethease_data/genome_Lilly_Mendel_v4_ui2.html
There are certain things it can tell you straight up, like what variant of the serotonin transporter you have, but for other info (like bipolar) the results are somewhat hazy.
For example, they can look at 92 some odd SNPs that have been associated with an increased (or decreased) risk of bipolar. You can go through and look at each one to try and get an idea of your genetic load for bipolar.
Unfortunately, it's not going to be able to diagnose you, and there are likely many more genes involved that they don't know about yet.
In theory, however, if you noticed a bunch of rare SNPs in a particular area, it may give an indication of a biological pathway for a problem.
So basically, I am getting it done to see what I can learn (for educational purposes) with the small chance that something actionable comes up. I would like to know what version of the serotonin transporter I have, as well if anything is obviously wrong with things like CACNA1 (calcium channel gene linked to bipolar and other mood disorders).
Also, there are other companies that can take a more detailed look at certain areas (for example, one will take your 23ANDME data and purportedly tell you if you have any problems with your methylation genes).
All in all, I am not a geneticist, but am learning a little as I go. I'll keep you updated as to what I find. Once I get my data I will know a bit more about the utility of these tests and what can really be said about the findings.
Linkadge
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