Bangkok--12 May--TCELS
From June 2011, the Virology Unit and Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, with support from the Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS), will collaborate jointly to decode the human genome (whole genome sequencing) of three billion bases of an anonymous, healthy Thai male donor as a model for further study of DNA changes (DNA variant).
Dr. Wasun Chantrtatita, project leader made the announcement that this genome will be compared latter with genomes of various persons who have different diseases, including those that are common and rare. The two main objectives of this project are, firstly, to locate the DNA variant(s) on the genome, which is associated strongly with disease. That genomic maker can then be developed into a set of genetic screening tests at a low cost. If the test results (from the laboratory) are positive, it will mean that the person is at high risk of the diseases in the future. However, the risk may be reduced if these people get regular medical checkups, change or modify their behavior regarding diet or their environment. In children, they are often given a "failure to thrive" diagnosis for an unknown disorder. "Sequencing those genomes will be a key hint to how to treat them properly.
The second objective is to determine the genome of patients for which current therapy does not work properly (difficult to treat). By sequencing their genomes and submitting the DNA variants to the special computational biology program based on computer simulations developed by Dr. Ram Samudrala and his team from the University of Washington, United States of America to identify all approved drugs that can bind to the disease target protein structures which are caused by DNA variants and somehow malfunction in ways that lead to damage and disease in the body. The drug(s) can be picked up and used to replace the medication that did not work in the first place (personalized medicine).
The outcome of the project will finally help both the government and patients regarding effective treatment and reduction of medical expenditure and unnecessary laboratory diagnostic assays. The development of special computational biology program has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) fund, United States of America.