• 

A team of scientists in Singapore has developed the world’s largest genetic databank of Asian individuals. Their findings are published in Cell.

Genetic variation is known to contribute to an individual’s susceptibility to disease and response to treatments. Populations from different parts of the world show significant genetic diversity that is a consequence of their population histories. Asian populations are not extensively studied, and their genetic make-up is poorly understood, hindering efforts to discover disease-associated genes that impact on the health of individuals from these populations.

Singapore, with its ethnically diverse population consisting of three major ethnic groups (Chinese, Malay and Indian), capture 80 percent of Asia’s diversity. Hence, Singapore investigators performed whole genome sequencing on close to 5,000 Singaporeans (2,780 Chinese, 903 Malays and 1,127 Indians) over two years to establish a genetic reference on the local population for subsequent studies.

“The project provides a pilot genetic map of Asian populations that allows us to measure precisely the genetic contribution to disease, and combine it with other sources of data within a data-driven healthcare system,” said Professor Patrick Tan, executive director at the Genome Institute of Singapore, who is a senior author on the study. “Potentially, this will provide insights to prevent disease before it occurs, diagnose disease earlier and ensure that therapies are deployed in a way that maximizes clinical benefits while minimizing adverse effects. This will benefit both Singapore and the Asian population at large by providing more effective and efficient healthcare services,” he added.

Source: Asian Scientist