Diagnose possible hereditary diseases and the tendency to develop certain pathologies, also adapting treatments to users. These are the great assets of the first genetic research laboratory in the south of the country, which will be born in the Algarve, in January of next year.
This is a project that results from a collaboration agreement between the Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC) and the Spanish group Health in Code.
In statements to the Sul Informação, Nuno Marques, president of the ABC, explained that the idea to create a laboratory of this kind in the Algarve «already existed for two years», but was delayed due to the pandemic.
"What we are going to be able to do, in the region, is the diagnosis of possible hereditary diseases and also identify which are the best therapeutic options", he stated.
Through genetic tests, it is possible to see if there is a tendency to develop certain pathologies and diagnose more than a thousand rare diseases.
In the case of cardiology, performing these tests allows us to identify pathologies associated with sudden death and other diseases that affect the heart.
According to Nuno Marques, "there are, for example, many types of cancer in which the treatment is chosen according to the genetic mutations present" and which will be analyzed in this laboratory.
ABC will carry out tests in areas such as neurology, pulmonology and oncology, something crucial for choosing the best treatment for each patient.
Moreover, the opening of this space will make the samples "stop going to Lisbon or Porto, as happens now".
When the laboratory “Genelab by ABC” opens, in January 2022, which has European funding of more than 1 million euros, it will be located at the University of the Algarve, and will then be transferred to the new building, dedicated to health and research, to be built in Loulé.
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