IndiGen Genome Project: About, Advantages, Challenges & More

The IndiGen Genome Project is an initiative launched by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to sequence the genomes of ethnic Indians, thus creating a nationwide genetic database. It is very significant for the study of genetic diseases in the Indian population so as to further applications in public health and precision medicine. This article seeks to analyze in detail the objectives, benefits, challenges, and impact that the IndiGen Genome Project will possibly have on healthcare in India.

About IndiGen Project

• The IndiGen Genome Project is an initiative of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for collecting and sequencing genomes of ethnic Indians for better public health applications.
• The CSIR started the IndiGen Genome Project in April 2019. The project was executed by the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, and the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad.
• The major aim of the IndiGen project will be to do genome sequencing of 1008 Indian Individuals.
• In the future, the aim would be to build up this pilot database in the linking of carriers for genetic diseases that will then enable the cheap carrier screening methods in India.
• The Human genome data set would be applied in prioritising therapies for genetic diseases pertinent to the members of the Indian population.

Advantages of IndiGen Project

Benefits with regard to the IndiGen project are:

• By studying patients’ DNA data of individuals who suffer from a certain disease, it is reliant upon tracing the origin of that disease.
• By examining genomic data and reviewing medical information collected with the analysis, patients affected by rare diseases can help describe mutations that cause the disease; such information can be further used for better diagnostics and treatments.
• The IndiGen project has so far helped identify rare genetic diseases from different ethnic groups across the country and hence represents the first step towards implementing precision medicine for the Indian population.
• Population scale whole genome sequencing of Indian genomes (IndiGen project) offers an exclusive assistance in investigating the landscape of pharmacogenetic (PGx) variants related to differential COVID-19 response among Indians, considered one of the most hard-hit nations in the world.
• Studying a very specific and significant family set representing a subgroup within the population will yield valuable data on the predisposition of certain diseases that are common in that particular subgroup.

Need of IndiGen Project

• Indian population is uniquely diverse and hence it would be essential for this diversity to be represented in genomic data and the mechanisms for generating, storing, analysing and communicating large-scale genomic data to be developed. Some genes make an individual immune to a few drugs.
• Genome sequencing may, to a degree, help in understanding how they become immune to such a drug.
• The result needs to be harnessed in better understanding the genetic diversity of the population, which in turn helps in clinical application for better treatment of genetic disorders.

Read our detailed article on Genetics Disorders

Challenges of IndiGen Project

The challenges of IndiGen Project are as follows:

• Scientists and technicians must be thoroughly trained to implement this project successfully and decide on the best treatment procedure.
• The IndiGen Project aims to analyze 10,000 genomes slated for substantial enlargement. In the course of this enlargement, the sampling methodology needs to be decided upon in obtaining correct data.
• It may not necessarily be true that those who give such data are comfortable in sharing it out in the public domain or sharing it with companies that collect them.
• The other issue is how much of this data can be kept in the public domain or withheld from commercial enterprises. This data contains genetic information alongside personally sensitive information.

Read our detailed article on Genome India Project

Conclusion

To summarize, the IndiGen Genome Project stands as a landmark towards utilizing genetic data for better health outcomes in India. While it testifies to enormous promises for the advancement of medical research and personalized treatments, the project faces certain issues, chiefly regarding data privacy, ethical considerations, and training for the professionals involved. If these challenges can be met, the rich genetic pool of the Indian population may see the IndiGen project setting a route for dramatic reforms in public health and precision medicine in the very near future.

FAQs: Indigen Genome Project

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