Global Successes Establishing a Basis for Next-generation Medicine

JAPAN GENOMIC MEDICINE PROJECT

Seeking to harness rapid advancements in the field of genomic medicine to provide patients with effective, personalized healthcare, AMED is conducting the Japan Genomic Medicine Project.

As part of the initiative, AMED is partnering with two universities in Japan to construct an integrated biobank for the storage of both biospecimens and analytical data. The Tohoku Medical Megabank Project (TMM Project) was founded with the aim of establishing an advanced medical system to foster reconstruction following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Constructed by ToMMo and IMM, the biobank currently houses more than 2.5 million sample tubes, including plasma, blood cells, DNA and urine taken with informed consent (in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures) from healthy Japanese participants.

In addition to building a platform for research, the TMM Project also expands the knowledge base of genomics through long-term health studies and comprehensive genome and omics analyses. To date, 150,000 local residents have been recruited for studies, including 70,000 for the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three- Generation Cohort Study, which compares samples from the grandparents, parents and children of a single family in order to determine the factors in the development of diseases.

In 2016, 2,049 whole-genome sequencing results were shared, while plans are in place to add a further 150,000, including single nucleotide variant (SNV) frequency data, which will form the basis for further research.

Moving forward, AMED will continue to promote its data sharing policy, which increases the efficiency of research by stimulating the disclosure and sharing of related data. By breaking down such barriers, AMED hopes to conduct further research in a number of important fields.

Concept

Promote the clinical application of cutting-edge genomic medicine with the aim of improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of illnesses. Build a valuable resource of biospecimens and analytical information to provide a strong foundation for research.

Progress

150,000 participants recruited for cohort studies, including 70,000 people for the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study. 2,049 whole genome sequencing results shared in 2016. Over 2.5 million tubes of biospecimens are currently stored in an integrated biobank.

Collaborators

Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo), Tohoku University; Iwate Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (IMM), Iwate Medical University