March 31, 2009 
Genetic material of 10,001 inhabitants of Dalmatia is being saved in biobank, which will serve for research to scientists from all over the Croatia. Citizens are catching ‘contact’ for entry to the bank …
When a year ago prof. dr. Igor Rudan, Croatian leader of the Croatian global health center initiated the launching of the project, “10,001 Dalmatians” on Faculty of medicine in Split, experts who have joined it did not know that it will become a strategic project of the faculty, “said prof. dr. Mladen Boban on a public hearing “Medicine and public – new ways of cooperation.”
And people who in the beginning came to the systematic review on the fifth floor faculty with certain suspicion, not knowing exactly what was going on, are now looking for ‘connection’ surely wanting to be ‘10001 Dalmatians’.
Good voice is heard far away, believe scientists involved in the project which aims to create a large Croatian biobank that will store all the genetic, biochemical, physiological, morphological and other data population of Split-Dalmatia county and based on them explore the relationshiop between human genome, region and biochemical characteristics.
It is also the basis for examining the genetic basis of common human diseases such as cardiovascular, neurological, tumor … and the next step is to perform the conclusions about whether successful scientists and top athletes simply grew on the fertile soil of the happy genetic mixes.
They will explore how people of different Croatian regions respond to individual provocations which their body is exposed, for example, on a medicine, drinking of wine, at some food and what changes occur in them over time.
Overview from head to toe
– Our region has in the history been the crossroads of paths, which makes it unique. In a small space we have an extraordinary blend of Ottoman and Roman influence conquest, traces of the Crusades, Napoleon’s conquests, and isolated islands where there was no impact.
Therefore, the possibility to use and compare data from biobank is fantastic, says dr. Boban. Given that our database will be available to scientists from all Croatia dealing with specific research in which our data may be useful, it is clear that this project has invaluable scientific value.
Biobank will also increase scientific production of the 21st century and enable Croatia to be competitive in the scientific world.
Every day at 20-odd people of different ages, genders, occupations .. it is measured everything that can be measured. Thus, among 500 of them height and weight, waist circumference, hip, head and other was measured.
ECG, the ratio of pressure on the hands and feet, the function of blood vessels and lungs was assessed, bone density, the biochemical analysis of blood and urine were performed, they were tested for hearing and vision, examined eye backgrounds, tested memory …
For a person who participates in this survey the most painful is taking blood while the rest is painless and free, except that it lasts for several hours explains dr. Boban, in charge of the anthropometric and cardiovascular area.
Heading a team of psychological testing is a prof. dr. Zoran Đogaš, while the prof. dr. Tatjana Zemunik leds the team to prepare the blood for genetic analysis and for its proper saving in biobank which is also the most sensitive and most expensive part of this job.
Genes to blame for gout, BMI, glaucoma, cholesterol …
In earlier analysis of genetic material of 3000 inhabitants of Korcula and Vis a gene responsible for gout was discovered, a new anthropometric analysis showed a significant correlation of gene and body mass index, height, weight, arm and waist band. Genes are also linked with protein that is the culprit for the development of glaucoma and myopia, and for cholesterol, reveals dr. Boban.
Research opportunities
From the biobank it is possible to compose the image of the environmental impact on lifestyle, assess the impact of weather, age of the population, compare coastal and continental way of life and evaluate the level of health care and the incidence of some diseases, and all of it then can be compared with other countries in the world.
Taken from: www.slobodnadalmacija.hr Author: Javorka Luetić