The first Symposium on Genetic Susceptibility Applied to Health was held at the Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP-USP) from November 18 to 20. The event discussed advancements over the past 25 years in the field of genomics of complex diseases, including cancer.
The symposium was organized by FMRP-USP, the Hospital das Clínicas de Ribeirão Preto (HC FMRP-USP), the Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Health (DECIT-MS), and the Genomas SUS project.
Among the topics covered, the symposium addressed genetic susceptibility to cancer, genetic diversity in Latin America, genomic studies of native populations in Brazil, genomic studies of isolated communities, the impact of genetic alterations in leukemia, the detection of hereditary cancer through tumor sequencing, the Genomas SUS project, and the use of large-scale bioinformatics in Genomas SUS.
Professor Leandro Machado Colli, one of the event’s organizers, highlighted the participation of international experts and the lessons that can be adapted to Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS): “We hosted researchers from the NIH, the United States, and Europe. They discussed the latest findings from their studies and the solutions they implemented to incorporate genomics into routine clinical practice, reporting, and clinical decision-making. This knowledge is highly relevant for the development of Genomas SUS, a Ministry of Health initiative addressing similar challenges.”
Genomas SUS is a Ministry of Health project aimed at developing a database on the genetic variability of the Brazilian population through sequencing the genomes of 21,000 Brazilians. The project seeks to better tailor treatments provided by SUS and enable the early detection of diseases by analyzing patients’ genetic profiles.
During the presentations, attendees learned how this knowledge is being integrated into clinical practice within SUS to improve healthcare for the Brazilian population and move toward precision medicine.
In addition to expert presentations, the event also featured a poster session showcasing the work of students and early-career researchers.
