HLA alleles and its association with auto-immune diseases and pharmacogenomics in multi-ancestral Asian populations
7 May 2025
Main Applicant – Associate Professor Sim Xueling, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore (NUS)
A person died because their body rejected a transplanted organ.
Someone with lupus had joint inflammation that made movement difficult.
A child had severe anemia caused by malaria.
Another child got a serious infection due to a weak immune system.
A patient had a dangerous skin reaction after taking a certain medication.
What do all these cases have in common? They all involve problems with the body’s immune system, specifically the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system, which helps the body recognize what belongs and what doesn’t. When the HLA system malfunctions, it can lead to serious health issues.
The HLA system is a set of genes on chromosome 6 that helps the immune system recognize threats. It contains over 200 genes, many of which vary between people, affecting disease risk and drug responses.
For example, people with the HLA-B*1502 gene can have a severe reaction to the drug carbamazepine, so genetic testing is required in Singapore before prescribing it.
Studying 50,000 Asian individuals can help us better understand how HLA genes affect health.