THAILAND FOCUS December 15th, 2014: Thai researchers claim advance in detecting genetic defects. Medical researchers in Thailand said last week they had developed a test that allows specialists to identify as many as 600 genetic disorders and their markers in parents and in embryos and fetuses before birth. Teams from both public and private medical institutions collaborated to create the breakthrough test, called Next Generation Sequencing. Dr. Boonsaeng Wutthiphan, an obstetrician and gynecologist who specializes in infertility at Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok, said the new test was the result of five years of research and development. Samitivej was joined in the research by a team at the Medical Genome Centre at Ramathibodi Hospital, plus the Thailand Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS), Leader Medical Genetics and Genomics Company (LMGG) and the Thai Reproductive Genetic Company (TRG). The development is the latest example of the strength of Thailand’s health care and medical systems, which have received wide-ranging praise for their quality and inclusiveness for a developing country. Dr. Boonsaeng said the procedure will detect potential risks before birth, and also determine if embryos of couples that have an infertility problem are free of complications. “According to statistics, seven in 100 people have a chance of genetic disorders or may carry genes that can be passed on to their children. The new technology will not only examine the potential risks for children, but also screen perfect embryos of couples who have an infertility problem,” Dr. Boonsaeng said. Until recently, hospitals only possessed technology to test for and detect thalassemia, the most common genetic disorder among Thais. Thalassemia is a blood disorder in which those affected lack genes that enable the body to produce enough red blood cells. More than 60,000 people in Thailand suffer from thalassemia. The new technology, however, allows doctors to test for over 600 possible genetic disorders including the 12 most common in Thailand: thalassemia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), hemophilia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease), deafness, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), galactosemia, phenylketonuria, Glycogen storage disease, type II or Pompe Disease, Wilson disease (Copper storage in brain and liver), and fragile X syndrome. The doctor said there were essentially two types of couples who would benefit most from the new test, which is fairly expensive at between US$2,300 and $4,000. The two groups are women aged 35 or over that want children, and couples with genetic disorders or who carry genes for disease. The chances of genetic defects in children born to parents later in life are higher than for younger couples. Boonsaeng recommends that families with a record of genetic disorders, or whose first child was born with a genetic disorder, be screened before deciding upon a second pregnancy. For couples with fertility problems that may require in-vitro fertilization, the tests can detect abnormal genes in embryo cells before being implanted in the in-vitro fertilization process, and examine chromosome abnormalities during pregnancy. thaiembdc.org/dcdp/?q=node/814
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 02:59:57 +0000
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