March 22, 2011 (Genomeweb) -- A new, comprehensive sequencing test to pinpoint the cause of genetic hearing loss promises to provide both precise diagnoses and clues to disease progression and therapeutic interventions.
The test, called OtoSCOPE for Otologic Sequence Capture of Pathogenic Exons, was developed by researchers in the Molecular Otolaryngology and Renal Research Labs, or MORL, at the University of Iowa. The non-profit lab performs both CLIA-certified genetic testing as well as research on deafness and renal disease. They plan to start offering the test clinically toward the end of summer.