QGP completes genome sequencing for more than 40,000 people

The Qatar Genome Programme (QGP) has completed genome sequencing for more than 40,000 people, including 35,000 citizens, as part of a project to predict, prevent, or treat specific diseases, director Dr Saeed Ismail, told local Arabic daily *Arrayah.
he QGP’s primary goal is to create a genetic map for the population of Qatar and the Arab region, which will serve as a scientific reference for diagnosing genetic mutations associated with various diseases, as such a genetic reference does not currently exist for the region.
Dr Ismail said that in the coming years, after generating this extensive data and conducting fundamental research on it, the focus will shift to clinical applications and translating this valuable information into actual healthcare, in collaboration with healthcare providers, with institutions such as Hamad Medical Corporation, the Primary Health Care Corporation, and Sidra Medicine.
The QGP has launched several joint clinical projects related to genetic medicine and preventive genomics, the official stressed.
For instance, in collaboration with the Heart Hospital, the QGP is using genetic tests in the care station near the operating room to guide doctors in prescribing the precise dosage of medications, such as the anticoagulant Warfarin, for patients undergoing heart valve replacement.
Initial results are promising and indicate the potential to achieve optimal treatment doses within three days instead of the current five to seven days, which would significantly reduce the time patients spend in the hospital.
Having a genomic sequence or reference can help discover disease-causing mutations among the population, according to Dr Ismail.
This, in turn, allows for the identification of normal gene sequences or sequences with mutations in one or more genes, contributing to increased awareness of the risk of certain diseases even before symptoms manifest.
Currently, samples are collected for the QGP from healthy individuals, and in the future, from patients too, focusing on the most prioritised diseases in the community, such as some common hereditary diseases, heart diseases, diabetes, and other prevalent diseases.
This approach aims to understand the genetic factors involved, facilitating prevention of these diseases in the future.
The QGP has already analysed tens of thousands of genes for the population of Qatar, describing mutations associated with many diseases in the region, Dr Ismail added.