CSIR Achieves Milestone in Health Monitoring with 'Phenome India Unboxing 1.0' Event

During the event, Dr. Shantanu Sengupta highlighted the project's importance, noting that India faces a substantial burden of cardio-metabolic diseases.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) proudly announced the successful completion of the first phase of its groundbreaking longitudinal health monitoring project, the 'Phenome India-CSIR Health Cohort Knowledgebase' (PI-CheCK). This significant milestone was celebrated at a special event, 'Phenome India Unboxing 1.0', held at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa on June 3rd. Distinguished attendees included Dr. Souvik Maiti, Director of CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Dr. Sunil Kumar Singh, Director of CSIR-NIO, Dr. Shantanu Sengupta, Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-IGIB, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Singh, Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR, and Dr. Viren Sardana, Senior Scientist at the Centre of Excellence for Intelligent Sensors and Systems.

During the event, Dr. Shantanu Sengupta highlighted the project's importance, noting that India faces a substantial burden of cardio-metabolic diseases. Despite this, the specific reasons for the high incidence within the Indian population remain unclear. He emphasized the necessity of tailored risk factor assessments, explaining that Western risk factors might not apply universally in India. "A one-size-fits-all concept has to go in our country," he stated.

Dr. Sengupta detailed the project's objectives, which include developing an advanced prediction model for cardio-metabolic diseases such as diabetes, liver diseases, and cardiac conditions. These diseases are influenced by both genetic and lifestyle factors, making the study crucial for understanding and mitigating risks.

The project has surpassed its initial target of 10,000 samples, and Dr. Sengupta called for similar efforts from other organizations to expand the sample pool. "If we get around 1 lakh or 10 lakh samples, it will enable us to redefine all major parameters in the country," he said, emphasizing that CSIR has created a cost-effective Standard Operating Procedure for sample collection.

Launched on December 7, 2023, the PI-CHeCK project aims to identify risk factors for non-communicable (cardio-metabolic) diseases in the Indian population. Nearly 10,000 participants, including CSIR employees, pensioners, and their spouses from 17 states and 24 cities, have provided extensive health data. This data includes clinical questionnaires, lifestyle and dietary habits, anthropometric measurements, imaging/scanning data, and comprehensive biochemical and molecular data.

Understanding the mechanisms behind the increasing risk and incidence of cardio-metabolic disorders in India is vital. The current risk prediction algorithms, based on data from Caucasian populations, may not be accurate for the Indian population due to ethnic diversity, varied genetic makeup, and lifestyle differences. Therefore, developing India-specific risk prediction algorithms is essential.

The Phenome India project exemplifies CSIR's commitment to advancing precision medicine through Predictive, Personalized, Participatory, and Preventive healthcare. By creating a detailed phenome database tailored to the Indian population, the project aims to inspire similar initiatives nationwide, ensuring that risk prediction algorithms are accurate and representative of India's diverse genetic and lifestyle landscape.