Korea NIH to Use Affymetrix Technology for Genome-Wide Association Study
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Affymetrix has unveiled that the Republic of Korea's National Institute of Health (NIH) and Centre for Disease Control and Prevention will use the Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 5.0 for the Korean Association REsource (KARE) project. This genome-wide association study is designed to identify the genetic causes of lifestyle-related complex diseases that are prevalent in Korea.
The project is expected to be one of the world's most recognizable clinical research projects. Researchers will use the Affymetrix microarray technology to generate individual genotypes from more than 10,000 human DNA samples. The technology enables researchers to perform more powerful whole-genome association studies, increasing the probability of discovering genes associated with adverse drug response or complex disorders. The resulting information will be made available as part of a database to help inspire additional research projects.
"Using the new Affymetrix SNP Array 5.0, we will be able to perform a true, unbiased genome-wide association study. This project will enable us to uncover the genes associated with diseases such as metabolic syndrome that affect many individuals in Korea," said Bermseok Oh, chief, Division of Structural and Functional Genomics at KNIH. "We feel these studies can improve the quality of life by helping us develop cost-effective therapeutics and personalized preventative measures."
According to the announcement, the KARE project will use samples from the prospective epidemiological Ansan and Ansung cohorts in Korea. It is comparable to the SHARE (SNP Health Association REsource) project, which is also using Affymetrix technology to identify genetic variants associated with heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders. The SHARE project is currently analyzing more than 9,000 samples collected by the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and Boston University for the Framingham Heart Study.
The Affymetrix microarrays will be run in the high-throughput lab of DNA Link, an Affymetrix-certified service provider in Korea. DNA Link is focused on establishing strong alliances with major hospitals to perform research into the genetic bases of common diseases. The company is also forming strategic business collaborations for the commercialization of its products and services.
The SNP Array 5.0 is a single microarray featuring more than 500,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 420,000 additional non-polymorphic probes that can measure other genetic differences, such as copy number variation. Researchers are currently using the array to better identify and understand complex diseases such as autism, autoimmunity, bipolar disease, cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
"Large-scale whole-genome association studies continue to accelerate genetic discoveries in labs around the world," said Robert Wells, vice president of corporate affairs and international markets at Affymetrix. "This study by the Korea NIH is another example of how the Genome-Wide Human SNP Arrays are quickly becoming the standard in large-scale genotyping and enabling researchers to understand the underlying causes of complex diseases, such as metabolic syndrome."
SeouLin Bioscience will supply the Affymetrix microarray technology and will provide technical support to the Korea NIH.
"The KARE project, which will be carried out with cohort samples of more than 10,000 Korean people, will be a significant contribution not only to the research in Korea but around the world," said Eul-Moon Hwang, CEO, SeouLin Bioscience. "We are honoured to participate in this project by providing technical support and guidance. We expect this project to accelerate research that will provide us with a better understanding of human life."
"Using the new Affymetrix SNP Array 5.0, we will be able to perform a true, unbiased genome-wide association study. This project will enable us to uncover the genes associated with diseases such as metabolic syndrome that affect many individuals in Korea," said Bermseok Oh, chief, Division of Structural and Functional Genomics at KNIH. "We feel these studies can improve the quality of life by helping us develop cost-effective therapeutics and personalized preventative measures."
According to the announcement, the KARE project will use samples from the prospective epidemiological Ansan and Ansung cohorts in Korea. It is comparable to the SHARE (SNP Health Association REsource) project, which is also using Affymetrix technology to identify genetic variants associated with heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders. The SHARE project is currently analyzing more than 9,000 samples collected by the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and Boston University for the Framingham Heart Study.
The Affymetrix microarrays will be run in the high-throughput lab of DNA Link, an Affymetrix-certified service provider in Korea. DNA Link is focused on establishing strong alliances with major hospitals to perform research into the genetic bases of common diseases. The company is also forming strategic business collaborations for the commercialization of its products and services.
The SNP Array 5.0 is a single microarray featuring more than 500,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 420,000 additional non-polymorphic probes that can measure other genetic differences, such as copy number variation. Researchers are currently using the array to better identify and understand complex diseases such as autism, autoimmunity, bipolar disease, cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
"Large-scale whole-genome association studies continue to accelerate genetic discoveries in labs around the world," said Robert Wells, vice president of corporate affairs and international markets at Affymetrix. "This study by the Korea NIH is another example of how the Genome-Wide Human SNP Arrays are quickly becoming the standard in large-scale genotyping and enabling researchers to understand the underlying causes of complex diseases, such as metabolic syndrome."
SeouLin Bioscience will supply the Affymetrix microarray technology and will provide technical support to the Korea NIH.
"The KARE project, which will be carried out with cohort samples of more than 10,000 Korean people, will be a significant contribution not only to the research in Korea but around the world," said Eul-Moon Hwang, CEO, SeouLin Bioscience. "We are honoured to participate in this project by providing technical support and guidance. We expect this project to accelerate research that will provide us with a better understanding of human life."