Incorporating the newly-discovered genetic variations in the DNA of Qatar’s native population into the pre-marital screening process could have a significant impact.
A Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) study that analysed the DNA has discovered genetic variations that could help doctors target interventions to reduce the prevalence of a variety of debilitating hereditary disorders.
Researchers at WCMC in Qatar and WCMC New York, working with colleagues from Cornell University in Ithaca and Hamad Medical Corporation, identified 37 genetic variants in 33 genes known to play causal roles in a total of 36 diseases.
Currently, pre-marital counselling in Qatar screens for four genetic variations out of the 37 identified by the study.
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