A normal ECG at rest. No symptoms anyone noticed. And a cardiac rhythm disorder that only reveals itself under specific conditions — unless you look at the gene first.
Whole genome sequencing identifies SCN5A and other ion channel variants underlying Brugada Syndrome — enabling risk stratification, family screening, and informed clinical decisions.
Brugada Syndrome
Brugada Syndrome (BrS) is a cardiac channelopathy characterized by a distinctive ECG pattern — ST-segment elevation in right precordial leads (V1–V3) — and a markedly elevated risk of ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death, particularly during rest, sleep, or fever. Prevalence is estimated at 1–5 per 10,000 worldwide, with significantly higher prevalence in Southeast Asian populations (up to 1 in 1,000). BrS predominantly affects males (8:1 ratio), with mean age of sudden death around 40 years. The condition follows autosomal dominant inheritance but shows extremely incomplete penetrance — many individuals with pathogenic variants never experience arrhythmias or may develop symptoms only later in life.
SCN5A, which encodes the cardiac sodium channel Nav1.5, is the primary gene implicated in BrS, found in approximately 20–25% of patients. Unlike in Long QT Syndrome Type 3 (where SCN5A gain-of-function variants prolong the QT interval), BrS is caused by loss-of-function variants that reduce sodium current, creating a transmural voltage gradient in the right ventricular outflow tract. This abnormality is invisible on most ECGs — the BrS-type ECG pattern appears intermittently, sometimes only after fever or during sleep. Approximately 65–75% of BrS patients have no identifiable pathogenic variant in any known BrS gene, suggesting undiscovered genetic mechanisms.
Confirming a Brugada syndrome diagnosis has immediate therapeutic implications. Patients with high-risk features — prior syncope or cardiac arrest, fever-triggered symptoms, or family history of sudden death — are candidates for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement, which prevents sudden death by detecting and terminating life-threatening arrhythmias. Identifying a pathogenic variant enables cascade testing of family members, though the variable expressivity means many carriers may remain asymptomatic. Genetic counseling addresses avoidance of drugs known to unmask the BrS-type ECG pattern (certain antiarrhythmics, antibiotics, antihistamines), fever management, and family planning. For high-risk carriers, an ICD is a genuinely life-saving intervention.
Only 20–25% of clinically diagnosed Brugada Syndrome patients harbor SCN5A mutations; the remaining majority remains genetically unexplained, suggesting substantial genetic heterogeneity or polygenic contributors.
Only 20–25% of Brugada Syndrome patients have identifiable SCN5A variants. The majority remain genetically unresolved — panels alone cannot capture the missing heritability.
Two-thirds of Brugada patients lack a genetic diagnosis
Only approximately 20–25% of clinically diagnosed Brugada Syndrome patients have an identifiable pathogenic variant in SCN5A, and only 30–35% have any molecular finding in any known BrS gene. This leaves 65–70% of patients genetically unresolved. Standard BrS panels screen SCN5A and sometimes candidate genes, but the vast majority of genetic variance in BrS remains unexplained. Whole genome sequencing enables both rare variant detection across all genes and the calculation of genome-wide polygenic risk scores, which may eventually explain some of the missing heritability in BrS.
A finding identifies at-risk family members for preventive ICD placement
When an SCN5A variant is confirmed, it enables cascade testing of family members — identifying at-risk relatives who may carry the same mutation without ECG abnormalities (since the BrS pattern is frequently intermittent). For carriers with high-risk features (prior syncope, fever-triggered arrhythmias, family history of sudden death), ICD placement is a genuinely life-saving intervention. Genetic information informs counseling about drug interactions (avoiding medications that unmask the BrS-type ECG pattern), fever management, and activity modification. For asymptomatic carriers with normal screening, periodic reassessment is appropriate.
Your full DNA (not just a part of it)
Traditional genetic testing looks at narrow sets of genes, missing most parts of your genome. We sequence your full genome — every gene and every region between genes.
Comprehensive insights and specialized reports
Easy to read and with answers you and your doctor can act on. Not a file to interpret — 200+ clinical reports, organized by category.
Your test becomes more valuable every year
Your DNA does not change, but genome science is accelerating. Every month, new variant-disease associations are discovered. We validate these findings and update your reports automatically. Your test becomes more valuable every year.
The results doctors bring to their hardest cases.
Forty years of uncertainty. One test.
A patient had spent decades in the UK healthcare system without a diagnosis. Dante data, accepted by NHS clinical teams at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow, identified Noonan Syndrome and a RUNX1 leukemia-associated variant that had gone undetected. After 40 years, they finally had an answer.
A complete read delivers a complete picture.
A patient came to Dante to investigate periodic paralysis. Reading the complete genome identified a concurrent hereditary cardiac finding — Brugada syndrome — that their doctor confirmed with an ECG. The result also explained a family member's unresolved cardiac history. One test. Every answer in it.
Sequenced in 2019. The data worked in 2021.
Jennifer sequenced her genome with Dante two years before her breast cancer diagnosis. When treatment began, Dante's pharmacogenomics data showed her prescribed chemotherapy would cause serious adverse effects. Her doctor selected an alternative — and she started effective treatment from day one.
Every genetic question deserves a complete answer.
Whether you are searching for answers today or protecting your health for tomorrow, a complete read of your entire genome is the only place to start.
It runs in your family. Now you can know if it runs in your genes.
Your genome contains inherited variants associated with medical conditions like cardiac, cancer, and neurological. We read all of them — with the clinical depth to give the result meaning.
Learn more →When traditional lab tests say you're fine. And you know you're not.
Standard diagnostic tests check for a pre-selected set of answers. We sequence your full DNA — including parts that no test was designed to check. If the answer is in your genome, we will help you find it.
Learn more →Your diagnosis may be right. Your treatment plan may be incomplete.
Your genes determine which treatments are most likely to work — and which are not. We give your doctor the tools and insights to inform your treatment plan.
Learn more →You want to know before something forces the question.
Some people don't wait for a diagnosis or a family history to act. Whole genome sequencing gives you the complete genetic picture now — so you and your doctor can make informed decisions before anything becomes urgent.
Learn more →You already took a DNA test. Here's what it couldn't tell you.
Most consumer DNA tests read less than 0.1% of your genome. We read all of it.
Learn more →Clinical-grade results. Chosen by individuals, trusted by doctors for their most complex cases.
Dante Genome Test helped specialists at a UK national acute hospital in the identification of Noonan Syndrome and a rare leukemia-associated genetic variant that had gone undetected. That result changed the medical care of the patient.
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Common questions about whole genome sequencing.
What is the difference between whole genome sequencing and a targeted genetic test?
Targeted genetic tests — including standard hereditary cancer panels — read a pre-defined list of known variants in a specific set of genes. They are designed to find what they already know to look for. Whole genome sequencing reads your entire genome: all 6 billion base pairs, every gene, every region between genes. A Mayo Clinic study published in JAMA Oncology found that standard testing guidelines missed more than half of patients with inherited cancer mutations. Genome Test does not have a fixed list.
What will I receive when my results are ready?
Your Dante Genome delivers 200+ physician-ready reports organized by clinical category — hereditary cancer, cardiac conditions, rare diseases, pharmacogenomics, carrier status, and more. Reports are delivered to your secure Genome Manager and are formatted for direct clinical use. Your genome data is permanently retained and re-analyzed automatically as science advances.
What happens if a clinically significant variant is found?
If a pathogenic or likely-pathogenic variant is identified, it will be clearly flagged in your physician-ready report with clinical context, published evidence, and recommended next steps. We recommend sharing any clinically significant finding with your physician or a genetic counselor, who can guide decisions about surveillance, risk reduction, or cascade testing for family members.
How is this different from a consumer DNA test like 23andMe or AncestryDNA?
Consumer DNA tests use genotyping chips that read less than 0.1% of your genome — a tiny pre-selected set of common variants. They are optimized for ancestry and population-level traits, not clinical genetic findings. The Dante Genome Test sequences 100% of your genome at 30X coverage, the same standard used in clinical diagnostic settings. The two tests are not comparable in scope, methodology, or clinical utility.
How long does it take to get results, and how are they delivered?
Your collection kit ships within 48 hours of ordering. Once your sample arrives at our CLIA-certified laboratory, sequencing and analysis takes 6–8 weeks. Results are delivered securely to your Genome Manager, where you can access your reports, share them with your physician, and receive automatic updates as new findings are validated against your genome.
We work with patient advocacy groups worldwide.
Dante Labs works with patient advocacy groups of any size — for Brugada Syndrome and other conditions, rare and common. We support groups in any country, including virtual patient advocacy groups.
We can provide customized reports, group discounts, and packages tailored for your members. Please reach out using the form and we'll be in touch within two business days.
- Custom genomic reports for your members
- Group discounts and tailored packages
- Any country — including virtual groups
- Rare and common conditions covered
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One test.
A lifetime of answers.
One kit, sent to your home. Your entire genome sequenced at the clinical standard used for diagnostic decisions. 200+ physician-ready reports delivered to your Genome Manager in 6–8 weeks — permanent and updated as science advances.
Ships within 48 hours · Results in 6–8 weeks
