The biotechnology company Overgenes, located in the business area of the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV), has successfully completed the recruitment of volunteers for the genetic screening study of the iSARC-GENETICS project, which is supported by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI).
The company began the design of the population genetic screening in March 2021 through a feasibility study of the project and an effective communication strategy. The development of the project has culminated in important milestones, such as the participation of sports and health centers, and even institutions as renowned as the Spanish Society of Precision Health (SESAP).
Genetic screening makes it possible to obtain a genetic panel of a heterogeneous population that represents today's society. These data, together with other sociodemographic, anthropometric and clinical parameters, will allow the adjustment and validation of the Multiscale Genetic Algorithm to identify and classify the risk of developing sarcopenia.
In total, Overgenes has managed to recruit 940 volunteers for the iSARC-GENETICS project thanks to the different actions it has carried out throughout the genetic screening study, and thanks to the communication actions and collaborations established by the company, it has managed to generate a database with a representative number of participants to carry out the study of genetic variants associated with sarcopenia.
The company located at the Parc CientÃfic celebrates the results obtained and expresses its gratitude to all the people involved in this study, "without whose contribution and commitment this achievement would not have been possible," acknowledges the Overgenes team.
The genomic data resulting from this study will be used to validate a genetic algorithm that identifies and stratifies people with a genetic predisposition to develop sarcopenia. These results represent a significant advance in the understanding of the underlying genetic causes of sarcopenia and hold great promise for use as a preventive and diagnostic tool for this disease, with the aim of contributing to improving the quality of life of people affected by sarcopenia, the medical biotechnology company emphasizes.