World's biggest human organ scanning project starts in UK
In what is the world's biggest scanning project, 100,000 Britons are
now undergoing detailed imaging of their brain, heart and vital organs
to help researchers study a wide range of common, chronic and
life-threatening conditions like diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
Scientists say that the UK Bio-bank imaging study is one of the most
ambitious and exciting health research opportunities in recent years.It
will provide an unprecedented level of information to help scientists
and doctors working on a wide range of illnesses, including dementia,
heart disease, cancer, arthritis, depression and eye and lung disorders
over very many years.
DNA has been collected from all the volunteers who will be compared
and cross-referenced with the scans.Prof Sir Rory Collins Chief Exec, UK
Biobank said, "The aim is to try to improve the diagnosis and treatment
of a huge range of diseases. We are trying to understand why one person
gets a disease and another does not." The Bio bank said, "The project
will collect pictures of participants' brains, hearts and bones.
Many thousands of UK Bio bank participants will be invited to take
part over the coming year. We are grateful to all participants who have
given up so much of their time to help medical research so far. Their
contribution is already helping innovative research studies." "We hope
many will join this scanning project and provide more information for
research which will benefit future generations," said Professor Collins.
The project will include Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the
brain, heart and body to determine the structure of internal organs and
the distribution of body fat. Ultrasound - scan of the carotid (neck)
arteries will be carried out to study the build-up of fat in the
vessels. Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan using low-energy
X-rays will then measure bone density and risk of osteoporosis and
arthritis. Scientists have already begun to analyze the DNA of all
500,000 participants.These will be identifying 850,000 biomarkers, many
of which are associated with diseases.
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