Significance

FinnGen is the largest biomedical study in Finland 

Large biobank studies have become an important resource for biomedical research, particularly genetics and epidemiology. The FinnGen project is among the largest biobank projects worldwide and takes advantage of a unique combination of opportunities found only in Finland. 

FinnGen helps to unravel the genetic mysteries that lie within our DNA 

The main aim of FinnGen is to apply cutting-edge genetic analyses to a very large and unique data resource to improve our understanding of disease mechanisms, and thereby provide insights that facilitate the development of better disease treatments and prevention measures. Thanks to FinnGen’s findings, the genetic makeup of Finns and the factors that predispose or protect us against disease are already very well understood. This understanding will further continue to improve over the years.

FinnGen takes a deep dive into disease mechanisms

Genetic associations are often one of the first steps toward revealing the biological background of a disease. With thousands of disease associations identified, the next step is to understand their biological consequences. Over the next few years, FinnGen will focus on selected disease-associated genetic variants typical for the Finnish population, aiming to determine how these variants predispose people to disease and what goes wrong biologically.

FinnGen enables precision medicine and prevention

Genome information produced during the study is returned to the Finnish biobanks and made available for new research projects. Furthermore, the first steps are now being taken to apply the individual genomic data generated by this study to healthcare. Pilot biobank projects focusing on breast and colorectal cancer are ongoing in several regions of Finland.