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Current and Future Utilization of Optical Genome Mapping: Insights From the 2024 College of American Pathologists
Context.—:
Optical genome mapping (OGM) represents a promising cytogenomic technology that detects structural variants, including fusions, rearrangements, copy number variants, and loss of heterozygosity, in a single assay. Unlike karyotyping, fluorescence in situ hybridization, or chromosomal microarray, OGM leverages long-molecule imaging to map the whole genome with high resolution. This positions OGM as a novel tool for constitutional and somatic/cancer genomics. However, its current and planned utilization in clinical and research settings remains unknown, necessitating further investigation.
Objective.—:
To investigate the current utilization of OGM in clinical and research laboratories, assess its applications, and evaluate future utilization strategies.
Design.—:
In 2024, a supplemental questionnaire was incorporated into 6 College of American Pathologists proficiency testing programs to evaluate OGM's utilization.
Results.—:
Of 921 returned questionnaires, 712 were analyzed after duplicates were removed. Sixty-seven (9.4%) currently offered OGM testing: 5.2% (37) for research only, 1.8% (13) for only clinical use, and 2.4% (17) for both. Future adoption plans showed 7.6% (53 of 700 laboratories) and 7.9% (55 of 700 laboratories) aiming to implement OGM clinically within 12 and 24 months, respectively. The most common applications included hematologic malignancies and constitutional/germline postnatal disorders, followed by prenatal testing. International laboratories demonstrated statistically higher utilization rates than domestic laboratories (P = .001).
Conclusions.—:
This first survey on OGM clinical utilization reveals its status as a niche technology, with 67 laboratories currently using it. Its primary clinical applications are in constitutional/germline analysis and hematologic malignancies. Although international laboratories led in 2024, 108 laboratories (domestic and international) plan clinical adoption within 24 months, signaling OGM's potential for broader integration.
