Editorial | Genome project evidence of Hong Kong’s progress on biomedical hub goal
The large-scale genome sequencing project has exceeded its original targets and is already bearing fruit
The Hong Kong Genome Institute, a government-owned organisation that runs the Hong Kong Genome Project, said that more than three-quarters of participants saw positive treatment changes. Dr Brian Chung Hon-yin, the institute’s chief medical and scientific officer, said findings helped identify more suitable medications. The project originally aimed to recruit 40,000 to 50,000 people from 20,000 families by this year. By mid-October, it had already enrolled more than 52,000 from more than 37,000 families.
It is open to patients and their families tackling undiagnosed illness, hereditary cancer or other possibly genomics-related conditions. In the next five years, the project aims to recruit at least 60,000 to 70,000 more people. Researchers hope to build a genomic database primarily for southern China to help identify causes of diseases and precise treatments. Data privacy must be closely guarded so patients remain confident about joining such research.
Efforts are already bearing fruit. One case turned up a previously unreported disease-causing genetic mutation. The research helped identify 24 other patients around the world and offers hope for treatment options.
The data collection offers hope for other research. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has been studying a gene variant linked to accelerated deterioration in Alzheimer’s disease cases. The variant is more prevalent among ethnic Chinese people. HKUST has called for an improved gene database to support its work.
Progress so far indicates that the sector is helping Hong Kong take major strides in its ambition to become a biomedical innovation hub.