# SwissGenVar: A Platform for Clinical-Grade Interpretation of Genetic Variants to Foster Personalized Healthcare in Switzerland

## TL;DR

SwissGenVar is a collaborative platform in Switzerland for interpreting genetic variants to improve personalized healthcare by sharing clinical-grade data.

## Contribution

SwissGenVar introduces a nationwide, user-friendly platform for harmonizing and scaling clinical-grade variant interpretation.

## Key findings

- SwissGenVar combines variant data with consented clinical information for better interpretation.
- The platform interfaces with international databases to support global personalized healthcare initiatives.
- It aims to reduce the challenge of variants of uncertain significance through expert evidence sharing.

## Abstract

Large-scale next-generation sequencing (NGS) germline testing is technically feasible today, but variant interpretation represents a major bottleneck in analysis workflows. This includes extensive variant prioritization, annotation, and time-consuming evidence curation. The scale of the interpretation problem is massive, and variants of uncertain significance (VUSs) are a challenge to personalized medicine. This challenge is further compounded by the complexity and heterogeneity of the standards used to describe genetic variants and the associated phenotypes when searching for relevant information to support clinical decision making. To address this, all five Swiss academic institutions for Medical Genetics joined forces with the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB) to create SwissGenVar as a user-friendly nationwide repository and sharing platform for genetic variant data generated during routine diagnostic procedures and research sequencing projects. Its aim is to provide a protected environment for expert evidence sharing about individual variants to harmonize and upscale their significance interpretation at the clinical grade according to international standards. To corroborate the clinical assessment, the variant-related data will be combined with consented high-quality clinical information. Broader visibility will be achieved by interfacing with international databases, thus supporting global initiatives in personalized healthcare.