"The Clinical Genetics Unit of Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB), affiliated with the Southern Metropolitan Clinical Laboratory (LCTMS), marks a significant milestone, having provided care to over a thousand families within three years of its inception."
This unit focuses on providing care for individuals with hereditary diseases or those suspected of developing them, as well as studying family members at risk. The genetic counselling it offers is essential for emotional management and making medical, social, and life decisions related to these conditions.
In recent months, both the human resources and healthcare activity of this unit have expanded. The team now comprises two genetic counsellors accredited by the European Board of Medical Genetics (EBMG).
The unit also collaborates closely with the HUB's Minority Diseases Group and the hospital's Molecular Genetics Unit. This partnership facilitates advancements in the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of rare diseases, as well as in the interpretation of genomic results. It also aids in the development of protocols for action and supports research efforts, maximising available resources.
Additionally, cross-disciplinary collaborations have been established with specialists from other services at Bellvitge Hospital for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of various genetic diseases. These include retinal dystrophies, neurological, renal, pulmonary, and cardiac diseases, among others.
On the other hand, knowledge is already being generated to contribute to and apply gene therapies, in fields such as ophthalmogenetics and neurogenetics, utilizing the data collected.
The HUB moves towards excellence in personalised medicine
This project is part of the Territorial Specialiation and Competitiveness Project II (PECT-II) 4locaLHealth: Research, Innovation, and Health in the territory through personalised medicine, funded by the L'Hospitalet City Council. The investment contributes to the HUB's objective of becoming a centre of reference in adult minority diseases through personalised medicine and positioning L'Hospitalet's biomedical hub.
5P Medicine - Personalized, Predictive, Preventive, Participatory, and Population Medicine - holds significant value in hereditary diseases, particularly in the context of minority and oncological diseases. Here, genetic counselling is essential for both patients and their families. In addition, the establishment of the Clinical Genetics Unit at HUB has been co-financed up to 50% by the European Regional Development Funds of the European Union, as part of the ERDF Operational Programme of Catalonia 2014-2020.