Vietnamese scientists from the VinBigData Research Institute have mastered gene decoding technology, applying it to diagnose individual health risks.
This information was shared by Professor Vu Ha Van, Scientific Director of the VinBigData Large Data Research Institute (part of Vingroup), during the launch of GeneStory on April 22.
In addition to providing information about diseases, physical health, and nutrition for treatment purposes, the results of gene decoding help in the early detection of faulty genes, severe and chronic disease risks, recessive genetic disorders, and rare diseases such as cancer, stroke, obesity, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. “From now on, we can offer services to anyone who needs gene analysis to understand their disease risk, newborn screening, and pre-marital screening,” Professor Van stated, adding that results can be delivered within 14 days.
Professor Vu Ha Van shares information at the launch event on April 22. (Photo: Hoang Minh)
According to Professor Vu Ha Van, the purpose of the gene decoding product is aligned with basic research and aims to apply it to serve “preventive medicine” – a growing trend worldwide. This is the result of over three years of pursuit by the team.
Gene decoding is fundamental for understanding disease risks, which in turn helps build optimal healthcare pathways. He provided an example: if a patient shows symptoms of diabetes, they will undergo an expensive treatment process that deteriorates their quality of life. However, this disease can be entirely preventable through testing to determine if they are at risk for diabetes. “At that point, we can change our lifestyle, take certain medications with a treatment regimen to limit the likelihood of developing the disease or its progression,” he explained.
In another example, preventive medicine can predict individual responses to medications, the risk of drug reactions, and anaphylaxis. From gene data, doctors can identify adverse reactions and select the appropriate medication for each individual. “Genes are the best means to conduct tests in preventive medicine,” Professor Vu Ha Van emphasized.
Professor Van noted that GeneStory inherits research experience from the project sequencing 1,000 Vietnamese gene systems by VinBigData, which is the only provider in the Vietnamese market to comprehensively decode indicators related to drug response (pharmacogenomics) and drug side effects in treating cardiovascular diseases, anti-inflammatory treatments, rheumatology, psychiatry, and cancer. Currently, the research team consists of 50 leading scientists in the field of biomedical informatics and healthcare from institutions such as Harvard University (USA), Johns Hopkins University (USA), Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (USA), Golden Helix Foundation (UK), Singapore Institute of Bioinformatics, Vinmec International General Hospital, and Hanoi Medical University.
Globally, many countries utilize gene analysis to predict disease risks, drug side effects, and conduct newborn and pre-marital screenings.
In Vietnam, gene testing can involve sending samples to foreign companies; however, the analysis research is based on samples and data algorithms from European populations. “Therefore, decoding genes for Vietnamese individuals needs to rely on the specific gene data of the Vietnamese population,” Professor Van stated. He added that this is the first time analysis data serving preventive medicine has been individualized based on the genetic framework of Vietnamese people.
Globally, there have been several major projects announced, including the 1,000 Genomes Project (1KGP) (USA); 1,000 gene WGS (Whole Genome Sequencing): Japan, South Korea, UAE, Sweden, Thailand; 10,000 gene systems from Singapore; and 100,000 gene systems from the United Kingdom. The top 10 countries with complete human gene decoding projects (sample sizes from 100,000 gene systems) include the USA, United Kingdom, France, Japan, China, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Estonia, UAE, and Turkey.
