Participants
Quebec is at the heart of our discoveries!
Genizon BioSciences is conducting genetic research programs in many diseases and conditions, all of which are complex, heritable and have a high impact on society. Complex diseases and conditions are the result of interactions between several genes and environmental factors.
Basic approach
- Genizon recruits between 500-1,000 patients and similar numbers of healthy volunteers for each of its
clinical programs - Participants are recruited either as unrelated individuals or as members of family trios consisting of an affected individual and two healthy family members, depending on the study design
- In all cases, determining an appropriate diagnostic profile (phenotype) for all participants (both patients and healthy volunteers) is of paramount importance to the success of Genizon's research programs
- Genizon also collects DNA samples into a Biobank, which can be used in further research in the discovery of the genetic causes of a number of diseases
Why Genizon only recruits participants from the Quebec Founder Population
The Quebec Founder Population (QFP) is a large group (about 6 million) of Quebecers that are direct descendants of the original French founders of Quebec. The gene pool of the QFP is relatively undiluted compared with general populations, due to the historical lack of intermarriage with other groups. This has made the QFP genetically more homogeneous (or uniform) than other populations, and therefore ideal for Genizon's gene discovery programs. To learn more about the Quebec Founder Population.How Genizon Searches for Genes
Genizon carefully selects members of the QFP who are willing to participate and qualify for a specific gene discovery program. DNA is extracted from blood samples collected from the participants. The DNA from patients is then compared to DNA obtained from blood samples of non-afflicted individuals (controls) in a genome-wide association study using hundreds of thousands of DNA markers. Because of the genetic homogeneity within the QFP, most genetic regions will not differ significantly between patients and controls. Regions that are significantly different are likely to contain disease genes. Once identified, information is collected on the disease genes from the literature or in further experiments in the laboratory. This information is used to prepare a GeneMap, which contains the ‘disease’ genes and other genes interacting within the same biological pathways. These pathways are used to find targets for the development of new drugs. To learn more about Genizon discovery platform.
Internal team of professionals
Genizon has a team of professionals dedicated to the clinical aspects of its research programs. They develop scientific protocols, identify and recruit medical experts, manage ethics policies and procedures, and assist and coordinate medical teams in recruiting research participants.Extensive Network of Collaborators in Quebec
Genizon is working with an extensive network of hundreds of nurses, MDs and medical specialists throughout Quebec. This clinical network enables Genizon to move quickly from patient recruitment to gene discovery. Experts in specific areas of medical research work with Genizon to define the phenotypes for each of its programs, and advise on the inclusion and exclusion criteria for all participants prior to their participation.