RIYADH, 17 November 2003 — The Prince Salman Center for Disability Research (PSCDR) is conducting research on “Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis for the Prevention of Genetic Diseases,” according to Waleed Al-Deaigy, assistant executive director of public relations and media affairs at PSCDR.
Those involved in the research are Dr. Ali Al-Hellani, Dr. Serder Coskun, Dr. Ali Al-Odaib, Dr. Kernal Jaroudi, Dr. Pinar Ozand, Dr. Nadia Sakati, and Dr. Aida Al-Aqeel.
Dr. Ali Al-Hellani, clinical scientist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center and principal project investigator, told Arab News that “the number of marriages between close relatives (consanguinity) in Saudi Arabia is among the highest in the world. Some genetic diseases — those which are recessive — will not occur unless both parents carry the genes for them. Because of consanguinity, the chances of having both parents as carriers of the same disease is very high,” he added.
The primary aim of the scientific project is to prevent the spread of certain genetic diseases. Dr. Al-Hellani said: “The project is based on the generation of embryos through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). One cell is taken from each embryo and diagnosed regarding the disease we are looking for. After diagnosis, normal embryos are transferred and abnormal ones discarded. In some circumstances, where there are only carrier embryos available, the embryos might be transferred since no disease is expressed. By doing so, we are ensuring the transfer of normal or carrier embryos only which lead to pregnancy and the delivery of a normal baby.”
The project will last for two years during which mutation screening and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) will be performed.
According to Dr. Al-Hellani, the center began its work a year ago. He said plans are to recruit 100 patients to include all six diseases being studied. The research is in two parts; the first is in mutation screening and the second in PGD. “In mutation screening, our aims is the identification of mutations, while in PGD, pregnancy is the main goal,” he said.
This research is the first of its kind in the Arab world. “Since PGD facilities are not available anywhere in the Kingdom and require full collaboration between different disciplines, and our center will be the reference for all those who are interested,” Dr. Al-Hellani added.
“Patients tend to be worried about the mix-up of IVF samples but we want them to know that we have performed more then 1,000 IVF’s a year, for more than 15 years and we have never had a mix-up. In addition, we have found out that the same patients who hesitate are quickly convinced when we educate and inform them about what is going on,” he said.
Organizations and those interested in more details about the research may contact PSCDR: Tel: 966-1-488-4401 Ext. 26/38 or visit the website: www.pscdr.org.sa.
