NEW YORK – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center announced this week that it has partnered with population genomics company Helix to launch a precision health initiative to screen for gene variants associated with breast and ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, and high cholesterol.
The program, called Ohio State Genomic Health, seeks to enroll 100,000 participants over the next four years. Exome sequencing will be performed on participants using Helix's "Sequence Once, Query Often" model, which enables future genomic tests to be run with a provider's order without collecting additional samples.
In addition to providing participants with information about their potential health risks, the research may also help reveal risks occurring disproportionately within the study population, enabling the Wexner Medical Center to proactively develop health programs for the broader community.
"This partnership will expand and accelerate research across Ohio State focused on understanding mechanisms underlying human disease as well as development of diagnostics and treatments for patients. This is a critical platform for prevention and treatment," Peter Mohler, CSO at Wexner Medical Center, said in a statement.
Helix's collaboration with Ohio State is the latest in several such population genetics programs.
Last year, the San Mateo, California-based company partnered with St. Luke's University Health Network to sequence another 100,000 individuals over a four-year span in Pennsylvania, and in 2022, the company initiated similar partnerships with WellSpan Health and Memorial Hermann Health System.
"Our other programs have found that one in 75 participants received a positive result for one of these serious, actionable genetic conditions," said James Lu, CEO and cofounder of Helix. " We are proud to partner with Ohio State to positively impact public health across the state and enable individuals to take greater control of their health."