Research on the human genome is skewed in favor of Europeans



[ad_1]

Tariq Cain

According to a team of researchers, the majority of participants in genome research are of European origin. Most studies on gene-related diseases have been conducted on Europeans, hindering biomedical research and losing scientific credibility.

Genomics argues that research on the human genome has a strong influence on people of European origin, which can have serious consequences for the interpretation and pursuit of research, and scientists can not # 39; ignore.

According to statistics, in 2018, those involved in GWAS genealogy studies were approximately 78% European, 10% Asian, 2% African, 1% Hispanic and less than 1% of other ethnic groups. .

Destructive and unfair
"Leaving entire populations apart from human genetic studies is devastating and scientifically unfair," says Sarah Tishkov, evolutionary evolutionist scientist, from the University of Pennsylvania. "We risk missing the genetic variables that play an important role in health and disease among the ethnically diverse population, which could have serious consequences for the prevention and treatment of diseases."

Tishkov and his colleagues reviewed thousands of publications included in the list of gender-based correlation studies to produce real numbers from research studies and to analyze genetic risks related to specific health problems such as kidney disease and schizophrenia.

The team says that the application of genetic risk results to Europeans may not succeed in non-Europeans because of the differences that have gone through the history of evolution, where people Humans have grown and spread around the world for hundreds of thousands of years.

Researchers: The application of the results to the genetic risks of Europeans may not necessarily succeed in non-Europeans because of the differences that have gone through the history of evolution (Reuters)

Genetic diseases are usually associated with one variable in one gene, but others are linked to multiple genes at the same time, as well as to environmental factors. The absence of a wide range of unbiased samples is a real problem.

"Lack of diversity in human genome studies can exacerbate health inequities," said Scott Williams of the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.

"For example, methods for predicting the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, heart disease or diabetes are being developed based on the disease and its association with multiple genes, but such calculations, developed on the basis of evidence provided by the European population, might not apply to people of other ethnicities. "

The Panel suggests that some genetic mutations may occur in populations that we have not sufficiently studied and that the effects of genetic drift or the genetic allele – an evolutionary force that modifies the characteristics of species over time and can reduce genetic diversity – when separating populations, The inaccuracy of the final results of the Guas study on correlation studies.

Political will
The solution proposed by the researchers in their journal "The Cell" of March 21 is the use of complete biochemistry for future studies, to the extent possible, and argues that the use of biological banks with individuals of various ethnicities that can be linked to comprehensive health records should: Improve health care for all.

This European bias has important implications for the prediction of diseases in the world. This study shows the need to study more diverse population groups with the help of experimental examples and theoretical thinking.

"These initiatives will require the political will to improve funding and infrastructure to investigate the genetic diversity and diversity of the world's population," said University researcher Giorgio Cerujo of Pennsylvania. "The future success of genomics and microbiology depends on it."

[ad_2]
Source link