What is CARTaGENE?

CARTaGENE is a scientific project. Its goal is to create a public resource in order to accelerate health and genomics research.

The CARTaGENE Project will create a databank and a biobank that will be made accessible to scientific researchers seeking to better understand health and diseases.

How will CARTaGENE contribute to the advancement of knowledge on health?

Information on the health of individuals, their environments and their lifestyles, as well as genetic information, are useful to scientists hoping to gain a better understanding of health and diseases.

In what way will CARTaGENE contribute to the improvement of health?

CARTaGENE will provide researchers with access to data and biological samples for studies that aim to create a better understanding of why some people develop certain diseases while others maintain good health throughout most of their lives.

Additionally, CARTaGENE aims to contribute to the development of better diagnoses, treatments and prevention programs for widespread conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

How many participants will take part in CARTaGENE?

During the Optimization Phase, CARTaGENE tested its methods and tools. Overall, 223 people, aged 40 to 69, took part in the Optimization Phase in January and February 2008. Those 223 have allowed CARTaGENE to finalize its methods and tools for the next phase, Phase A.

During Phase A, beginning in 2009, the CARTaGENE Project will solicit the participation of 20,000 additional participants, aged 40 to 69.

Phase B is planned for 2011. CARTaGENE will then aim to recruit 30,000 additional participants aged 25 to 69. The feasibility of Phase B depends on the renewal of CARTaGENE’s public funding.

What benefits might the CARTaGENE project bring to society?

The CARTaGENE database and biobank will constitute a unique research resource of high scientific value.

The results of research projects conducted using CARTaGENE’s resources will directly concern the Quebec population.

The outcomes of the CARTaGENE project will not immediately affect medical practice, but will certainly be apparent in the future.

What differentiates the CARTaGENE Project for health research from existing projects in Quebec and worldwide?

CARTaGENE’s goal is to create a database and a bank of biological samples (called Biobank) that represent the genomic diversity of the Quebec population.Once created with the help of the participants in the CARTaGENE project, these banks will be useful for researchers studying the Quebec population.

They are presently the only databases in Quebec that contain genomic data dedicated to general health and not only to the study of particular diseases.

CARTaGENE’s compatibility with government databases concerning participants will help to increase the number of pertinent health research projects in Quebec. Those governmental data might concern, for example, hospitalisations, causes of death, cancer types, purchased medication, and medication covered by the public health system.

It is also the only resource of this type with a public orientation i.e. that is accessible to a large number of researchers.

Knowledge acquired by using the CARTaGENE banks could also be profitable to the populations of other countries.

What is the meaning of CARTaGENE’s slogan, «CARTaGENE, the world within you»?

“CARTaGENE, the world within you” is an expression that may have various meanings for different people. For us at CARTaGENE, the following themes are invoked:

Everyone of us has something within us that is also shared by other humans: the human genome. The genome is very complex, and has yet to be fully understood. Moreover, each one of us is genetically unique.

This theme has an open future. It focuses on what we have in common, yet allows us to take the diversity contributed by all into account.

This theme reminds us that each person has an important contribution to make.

Finally, “the world” might remind scientists of the Greek root “-omics”, they often use referring to the concept of totality.

What is the meaning of the name CARTaGENE?

The name CARTaGENE is made up of two words: CARTE (map) and GÈNE (gene).

This refers to the objective of CARTaGENE, which is to enable the “drawing” of a genomic map of the population, so as to gain a better understanding of its complexity and its diversity.

Is the CARTaGENE project about biodiversity?

No. This is a totally different field.

Also, CARTaGENE should not be confused with the Cartagena Protocol (http://www.biodiv.org/doc/legal/cartagena-protocol-fr.pdf), a project that results from an international agreement signed in order to reduce the risks involved in introducing biotechnology into the environment. The Cartagena Protocol concerns plants and animals.