UAE Scientists Build First Arab Pangenome for Precision Care

Photo: Dubai Government Media Office 

Scientists at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) in Dubai have done something very important for the first time. They have created the first Arab Pangenome Reference. This is a special collection of DNA information from Arab people. It will help doctors and scientists understand health problems better and create treatments that fit people’s own bodies.

Why is This Important?

Until now, most DNA studies in the world used data from only a few groups of people, mainly from Europe. This means that many people, especially Arabs, were not properly represented. This made it harder to understand their health needs. But now, with this new Arab Pangenome, doctors can give better treatment to Arab patients because they will know more about how their genes work.

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What is DNA and a Pangenome?

DNA is like a book of instructions inside our body. It tells our cells how to work and grow. A genome is the full set of DNA instructions in a person. A pangenome is when scientists combine the DNA information of many people to make a more complete reference. It helps to see all the differences and similarities in the DNA of people from the same region.

Who Made This Discovery?

This project was done by MBRU, which is part of Dubai Health. The work was carried out in their Center for Applied and Translational Genomics (CATG). They used advanced machines and technology to study the DNA of 53 people from different Arab backgrounds living in the UAE.

What Did Scientists Find?

They discovered over 110 million new DNA sequences that were not in other global DNA references.
They also found nearly 9 million small differences and more than 235,000 big differences in the DNA of Arab people that had not been seen before.
One special finding was about a gene called TAF11L5. This gene is common in Arabs but not in other groups. Scientists think this gene helps control other genes. It might help understand why some people get sick and how they respond to medicine differently.

How Will This Help People?

This Arab Pangenome will help:

• Create better medicines for Arab people

• Find out which diseases they are more at risk for

• Develop new treatments that suit Arab genetics

• Support the UAE National Genome Strategy, which is a 10-year plan started in 2023 to improve health using DNA science

Words from Leaders

Professor Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, Director General of Dubai Health Authority and co-author of the study, said this work is very important for the UAE. He said:

“This achievement makes the UAE stronger in science. By making a DNA reference for Arabs, we can give more accurate and fair healthcare. This is an important step towards the goals of our National Genome Strategy.”

Dr. Hanan Al Suwaidi, Acting Provost of MBRU, also shared her thoughts. She said:

“Our CATG lab played a big role in this success. We did all parts of the study in our own labs, from DNA sequencing to computer analysis. This shows Dubai Health’s focus on building strong science infrastructure and creating future science leaders.”

About the CATG Lab

The CATG lab at MBRU has top-level machines to read and study DNA. They used high-quality DNA sequencing in this project. This means they read the DNA very carefully to avoid mistakes. They also used bioinformatics, which is when computers help understand complex DNA data.

Why Was This Needed?

For many years, most DNA studies used data from a small number of people in the world. This created “blind spots,” meaning scientists did not know enough about the DNA of people from other regions like Arabs. Because of this, treatments and medicines made using old data may not work the same way for everyone. The new Arab Pangenome helps to fill these missing parts.

The PanScan Tool

During this project, the team also created a special computer tool called PanScan. It helps scientists find:

• New gene changes

• Gene duplications (when a gene is copied more than once)

• Complex patterns in DNA

PanScan is now available for scientists all over the world on GitHub, a website where people share computer programs. This will help other researchers study pangenomes for their own regions too.

What Did the Researchers Say?

Dr. Mohammed Uddin, Director of CATG and senior author of the study, said:

“This Arab pangenome is a big step forward. It helps us understand Arab DNA better. It will be useful in research and in hospitals for testing patients and finding the right treatments.”

Dr. Nasna Nassir, lead author and Assistant Professor at MBRU, said:

“We made PanScan to support our study. It helped us find many new things in Arab DNA. We are happy to share it with scientists around the world so they can make similar studies for their people.”

How Does This Support UAE’s Future Plans?

This project is part of the UAE’s bigger goal to become a leader in health and science. The National Genome Strategy wants to use DNA science to:

• Prevent diseases before they happen

• Treat diseases in better ways

• Create personalised healthcare, which means treatments are made to fit each person’s own body and genes

What is MBRU’s Role?

MBRU is the learning and discovery part of Dubai Health. Their research strategy is to make the UAE a leader in science. They focus on projects that help both the country and the world. By doing this DNA study, MBRU is making sure Arab people are included in global health data, so their needs are not forgotten in the future.

This new Arab Pangenome Reference is a big achievement not only for the UAE but for the entire Arab world. It will improve healthcare by giving doctors better information about their patients’ genes. It will help make treatments safer and more effective. And it shows that the UAE is becoming a strong center for scientific research that will benefit people for many years to come.