Anna Ortiz gets a quick swab at Gene Matrix: A groundbreaking new testing lab in the village of Bedford park. It's nestled in the Midway Medical Campus , fusing preventative testing with information.
Gene Matrix co-founder, Tarek Younis, explains that the results won’t diagnose conditions, but they will show how her DNA affects her response to medication, and can help doctors determine HOW to help treat her if need be. "I've read enough to know it’s safe, and it’s time to get it done," says Anna.
"We specialized in pharmacogenomics testing, which is testing you over 700 FDA approved medications. We also do a health and diet report... One of our panels would be a hereditary cancer test. Everybody has cancer cells but they’re not activated. This will pinpoint what's your high risk cancer and how to avoid it in the future. What kind of diet , medication you shouldn’t be taking," said Younis.
Lab techs enter the samples given in person or by mail.
"When we process your DNA, it comes out in the form about 100 pages of raw data, and we us AI data to form it into a readable pdf report based on scientific research that's been done in the past 30 years regarding genetic testing."
The lab serves the unique needs of communities of color in the Chicagoland area
Ortiz says she's a healthy 56 year old who came tonight with a doctor recommendation and a family history.
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"..we have high cholesterol, thyroid, heart issues… ulcers. "
She goes on to say, " I’m a proud Puerto Rican . I love to cook and everything's fried and everything delicious when it’s fried."
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Younis explains that Gene Matrix will "...give you an outline to optimize your health and life regarding your diet and how you react to inflammation, injury risk , diabetes risk, this will optimize and improve people’s health."
They hope that the state of the art facility can help address the long-standing mistrust and misinformation that has impacted some multi-cultural communities.
Anna adds that "Some of us are scared or don’t know where to go. Do your research ."
The testing costs around $700, and Younis says what isn't covering by insurance can always be worked out in a payment plan.
They launched in early august and have- so far- tested about 400 patients with trust and inclusivity.
