From Deseret News archives:
Genetic experts praise Utah database
Daylong symposium hosts top researchers on family diseases
The Utah Population Database just turned 30. Tuesday, top genetic researchers from around the world were at the Huntsman Cancer Institute for a daylong symposium focusing on what experts call a "unique research tool" and how it can be used to further understanding of diseases.
"We are at a remarkable moment in history, with an ability to understand the environmental and genetic causes" of many diseases including some cancers, said Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health. He leads the U.S. government's role in the international effort to map and sequence the human genome.
Now that "we understand how DNA is sequenced and mapped," he said, researchers are looking for ways to apply the knowledge. The goal is to identify hereditary factors in obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol and other diseases, which affect millions, he said.
Those researchers use the information in the database to study families with higher than normal incidence of various diseases, including cancer, to identify patterns of genetic inheritance and to identify specific genetic mutations, according to institute spokeswoman Linda Aagard.
Researchers hope the result will include treatments and cures. It has already lead to creation of some genetic tests so that relatives can learn if they have a specific gene mutation. It also has value helping family members who may have a genetic susceptibility of which they were unaware get early screening or make changes that can help prevent the diseases that impact their relatives, said Dr. Stephen Prescott, an institute investigator and CEO of LineaGen, a nonprofit research company that is promoting pairing the database and industry partners for research projects.
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