Acadians may be more predisposed to genetic diseases

The research conducted by genetics specialist Mouna Ben Amour, from the genetics clinic of university hospitalUniversity hospital center Dumont, was released on Friday.

A genetic analysis was conducted on 60 Acadians from the greater Memramcook region, by oral sampling.

We brought together people who were in good health. We were looking for carriers and not people affected by the diseases, underlines the clinical specialist in bioinformatics for the Vitalité Health Network, Éric Allain. Participants completed a questionnaire about the medical history of their families and ancestors.

” The hypothesis of the study is that genetic diversity may be less, which means that two parents have a greater risk of being carriers for the same disease and therefore of having a child who would be sick. . »

The researchers analyzed hundreds of genes and found 36 genetic variations that can lead to the development of diseases.

Several genetic diseases were also detected in the group, for example a gene associated with an autoimmune disease, certain genes linked to muscular weaknesses and several genes linked to metabolic diseases.

These are diseases where our body is unable to produce enough or destroys certain compoundsexplains Éric Allain.

The data collected by the researchers could be used to better screen for genetic diseases in New Brunswick.

Soon studies in the Peninsula, Restigouche and Madawaska

The clinical specialist in molecular genetics for the Vitalité Health Network, Philippe-Pierre Robichaud, reminds us that with the analyzes of the genetic data of the 60 Memramcook participants, the results of the research are only preliminary.

This is a very limited numberhe says.

The researchers now want to expand the sample.

The participation of about sixty people from the Acadian Peninsula has been confirmed and a search for candidates for Restigouche and Madawaska is underway.

The objective is to carry out the study in the seven health zones of New Brunswick and to try to see which diseases are the most frequent.

Having this kind of data would, among other things, make it possible to offer a preconception and prenatal screening program in the province.

It’s really about passing on the information so that parents who are at risk of having a child with a genetic disease know the riskexplains Éric Allain.

Preconception and prenatal screenings could allow the rapid care of newborns with genetic disease in order to offer better treatments.

We sequenced 342 genes, so it’s huge. Then it’s still not all the genes that cause genetic diseases, so it’s really to know which are the most frequent diseases in order to then propose a preconception screening program for a small list of genes, so to illnesses, to then be able to manage cases well when babies are born sicksays Philippe-Pierre Robichaud.

Towards a possible provincial registry

When research geneticist Mouna Ben Amour arrived in New Brunswick a few years ago, she was surprised to find that no genetic disease registry was kept in the province.

This is what prompted him to start this carrier screening study with his team.

The current preliminary database of researchers from the university hospitalUniversity hospital center Dumont is therefore the starting point for constructing this genetic mapping of the Acadians.

The data could eventually lead to a provincial registry, but the implementation of such a program is not for tomorrow morning.

The study is only in its first stage, and suggests further investigation of genomic variations in this population.

We don’t know yet if it will lead to a registry, or if there is even still a need for a registry says Eric Allain. I think that will come with the rest of the project.

Eventually, the Acadian diaspora elsewhere in the Atlantic could also be targeted.

Based on the report by Nicolas Steinbach