UAE hosts Emirates Genome Council meeting on preventive medicine

The landmark study of the Emirates Genome Programme, which discovered more than five million unique gene variations, was one of the strategic objectives that the board of directors evaluated during the meeting. This is reported by Emirates News Agency (WAM), a partner of TV BRICS.

The board also reviewed the progress of the Emirates Genome Programme, which has collected more than 600,000 samples to date, representing 60 per cent of the target of one million samples.

Since 90 per cent of genomic studies conducted globally are now based on European heritage, the study is the first of its kind to be explicitly developed for area and ethnicity, according to the source.

It is anticipated that this innovation will aid in the identification of genetic risk factors for diseases that are common in the Emirati population and will support the creation of individualised preventative and treatment plans.

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