Genome project will benefit the Arab world
▶ The UAE’s strategy will help to address under-representation of Arab data in global research
Next month will be the 20th anniversary of the Human Genome Project’s ground-breaking achievement in completing the entire genetic blueprint for a human being. It was an event with profound implications, one that offered the hope of understanding and eventually curing many of the genetic illnesses that plague our species.
This week’s news that President Sheikh Mohamed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, were present at the unveiling of the UAE’s National Genome Strategy demonstrates the importance the country has placed on developing this cutting-edge science, particularly when it comes to Arab populations.
The same year that the human genome was mapped, the Dubai-based Centre for Arab Genomic Studies was established with the aim of reducing the burden of genetic disorders in the Arab world. Since then, it has built up an open-access database of bibliographic data on human gene variants associated with inherited or heritable phenotypes in Arabs. Earlier this month, a research paper from the centre described 1,365 gene mutations reported in Emiratis, more than half of which are classified as disease-causing. Almost a fifth of these have not been reported in international genetic databases.
This data gap was addressed by Abdullah bin Souqat, executive director of the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences, who pointed to the importance of ethnic databases such as the CTGA in addressing the under-representation of Arab variant data in international research.
What the National Genome Strategy offers is a chance to close this gap. More than 400,000 Emirati citizens have volunteered so far to give blood samples and DNA cheek swabs to scientists building a genetic map of the population, pointing to how much people value the country’s mission. It is a major milestone on the way to the project’s stated aim of collecting one million samples for study.
The UAE population’s size offers researchers a manageable number to map, allowing scientists and doctors to identify health trends and risks. Examining small populations can deliver critical information, such in Scotland’s sparsely populated Orkney Islands where a recent study identified a gene mutation that increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Such genetic understanding in the Arab world is vital. According to research, genetic disorders such as sickle cell anaemia and fragile X syndrome are endemic.
The 10-year genome strategy in the UAE will go hand in hand with the country’s adoption of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. Upon completion, it will not only benefit the Emirati population but will offer a rich source of data for those researching the health needs of Arab populations.
It terms of scientific achievement, it is a rapid success story and one in which people are sharing information that will benefit future generations. Genetic mapping helps us understand where we have come from, but it also offers us a clear path to a healthier future.