Research results using samples and information provided by Biobank Japan have been published in the international scientific journal Nature Genetics. A research group led by Professor Yoichiro KAMATANI of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences at the University of Tokyo and other researchers at Biobank Japan identified 25 new genetic loci associated with the development of gastric and duodenal ulcers (peptic ulcer) through a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) integrating Japanese, European and American populations. Combined with data from single-cell transcriptome analysis, it was suggested that the differentiation of gastrointestinal cells during the gastric repair process and the linkage between gastrin, a major hormone that stimulates gastric acid secretion, and its receptors play an important role in the formation of peptic ulcers.
Peptic ulcer is a disease reported to be highly prevalent in East Asia, including Japan. The results of this study can be used to construct a Polygenic Risk Score (PRS: Note 3), which is expected to predict to some extent whether a person is genetically predisposed to peptic ulcers and to prevent them in the future, thereby reducing medical costs.

Original paper:
East Asian-specific and cross-ancestry genome-wide meta-analyses provide mechanistic insights into peptic ulcer disease
DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01569-7

Press Release Article:
https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/focus/en/press/z0508_00321.html