The bank stores over 120,000 human gene samples on the Tibetan Plateau to support research on altitude sickness now in operation.
Experts from Xinqiao Hospital in Chongqing, southwest China, have completed a large-scale field study lasting up to 15 years on the population in this highland area, while establishing the largest high-altitude human gene bank in the world, according to Global Times.
The Tibetan Plateau is known as “the roof of the world.” (Photo: China.org).
The bank currently stores over 120,000 human gene samples, including 20,000 samples added after its opening by Hospital 953 in the Tibet Autonomous Region. This vast gene resource will provide support for medical research related to “altitude sickness.”
Altitude sickness has always been one of the biggest issues faced by people from lower altitudes when they arrive in Tibet. Professor Jin Jun from the Cardiology Department at Xinqiao Hospital stated that altitude-related illnesses have a high incidence rate and can be life-threatening, but current technical means for treatment are still limited.
Comprehensive biological gene support will contribute to the study of altitude sickness in Tibet, which is referred to as “the roof of the world” or “the third pole of the Earth” with an average altitude of over 4,000 meters above sea level.
An altitude of over 4,000 meters is a challenge for newcomers to Tibet. (Photo: CGTN).
Altitude sickness is the human body’s reaction to sudden exposure to an environment with low pressure and low oxygen levels in the air. It can cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, insomnia, and loss of appetite, and can even lead to death due to its impact on the lungs and brain.
