Bangkok--15 Jan--TCELS
Is Thailand ready for establishing the DNA bank? TCELS teams up the world-renowned experts and national scientific networks to discuss the feasibility of operating the BIO-Bank to serve increasing demand of advanced medical therapies in the country.
The Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS) is pressing ahead with a plan to operate the so-called BIO-Bank which could help efforts to develop innovative medical treatment for major diseases among Thai people including HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, heart diseases and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“It’s time for Thailand to operate the DNA bank that enables doctors, pharmacists and scientists to better understand major diseases and develop medicinal drugs and treatments which suit Thai patients, said Thongchai Thavichachart, TCELS chief executive officer.
Dr Thongchai said TCELS has been collaborating with a team of scientists from the Medical Sciences Department, the Mental Health Department’s Rajanukul Institute and faculty of medicine from several state universities including private firms in order to collect DNA patterns of diseases, bacteria, viruses, toxins and other chemicals at the BIO-Bank for scientific research and national benefits.
The BIO-Bank project has been undertaken after TCELS in cooperation with national and international scientific networks under Pharmacogenomic program successfully identified a genetic pattern common to Thai people which is a breakthrough for scientists to better understand how Thai people respond to diseases in order to seek effective medical therapies for patients.
Late last year, the organization also managed to complete grouping the largest number of genetic code of tsunami survivors suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) under the Tsunami PTSD Genomic Center project.
In related topic, TCELS will invite Associate Professor Gunnel Tybring, a leading expert in bioanalytical chemistry of Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Dr.David Wellis President GenVault, USA., to further discuss about preparation for the Bio Bank and systematic collection of blood samples and DNA under room temperature which could save cost for scientific research and development.
The session is also open for public on January 16, 2007 during 09.00-15.00 hrs at Rama Gardens Hotel.
Click for photo release at www.thaipr.net