Draft:Psifas

Psifas is an initiative of the State of Israel established to create a medical–genetic database aimed at advancing precision medicine by providing controlled access to anonymized data from volunteers for medical and academic research purposes.

Establishment

The initiative was established under Government Resolution 3709[1] from 2018, funded by the Israeli Ministries of Health[2], Finance, Defense, and Education, the Council for Higher Education (CHE), the Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC), the National Digital Agency[3], and the Israel Innovation Authority.[4]

Management is carried out through inter-university cooperation under the supervision of the Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC).

The Chief Executive Officer of the initiative is Professor Gabi Barbash, and the Chair of the Board of Directors is Professor Arie Zaban, President of Bar-Ilan University.

The initiative operates in cooperation with Clalit Health Services and its medical centers (Rabin, Carmel, Soroka, Meir, Lynn, and HaEmek), as well as with Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov), Wolfson Medical Center, Rambam Health Care Campus, Hadassah Medical Center, and Shaare Zedek Medical Center.

Volunteer Recruitment

Volunteer recruitment began in January 2023.[5] Volunteers provide blood samples for whole-genome sequencing and give consent for the anonymous use of their medical and genetic data for research purposes. Initially, recruitment was limited to Clalit Health Services members only; starting in 2024, recruitment was expanded to members of all health maintenance organizations in accordance with targeted studies.

Blood samples are analyzed to identify so-called actionable genes, meaning genes in which genetic variants have proven medical significance, in accordance with recommendations of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG).[6] When such findings are identified in the genetic sequencing and the volunteer has requested to receive updates, a report is forwarded to the genetic institute at the hospital where the volunteer was recruited, and the volunteer receives genetic counseling at no cost.

Outputs

The Clinical–Genetic Database

The Psifas database integrates whole-genome sequencing data with medical information collected from healthcare systems. The data are stored in secure cloud environments and made available to researchers in anonymized form through a protected research environment. Access to this environment is granted only to researchers approved for a specific study, and the data available are subject to ethics committee approvals.

Major Initiatives and Studies

  • Israeli Reference Genome Project (IRGS)[7]: The Israeli Reference Genome Project involves whole-genome sequencing of participants from 60 subpopulations to create a repository of genome sequences used as a reference for comparative genetic data analysis. As part of Psifas’s Israeli genome sequencing initiative, a genetic reference has been created based on genomes of individuals from different subpopulations in Israel, whose ethnic affiliation was documented according to known family origin one or two generations back. The database supports population genetics research and assists in the clinical interpretation of genetic tests.
  • Investigator-Initiated Studies: Studies initiated by researchers from hospitals, academia, and industry include volunteer recruitment for disease-focused research in the fields of hematology, immunology, nephrology, hepatology, ophthalmology, pulmonology, oncology, mental health, and cardiology.

Research Infrastructure

The initiative provides unified infrastructure for medical research, including participant recruitment, regulatory frameworks, and secure data management, and serves researchers in academia, hospitals, and industry.

Privacy and Data Security

The database was established in coordination with Israel’s Privacy Protection Authority and the National Cyber Directorate. All data are encrypted and made available to researchers only after removal of identifying details, in anonymized form, and subject to approval by a Helsinki Committee for the conduct of the research.

  • Psifas national initiative launched at Carmel Medical Center – early disease detection, Haifa and Krayot News
 https://newshaifakrayot.net/?p=309522
  • Turning Israel into an international pioneer in precision medicine, Maariv
 https://www.maariv.co.il/news/health/Article-986634
  • Significant milestone in Israel’s national clinical–genetic database initiative, Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians
 https://publichealth.doctorsonly.co.il/2023/12/301713/
  • The genome initiative set to transform medicine in Israel and save lives, Calcalist
 https://www.calcalist.co.il/local_news/article/bjwdpa1w1g

Category:Assistive technology Category:Orphaned articles

  1. ^ Government Resolution 3709 – National Digital Health Program, Prime Minister’s Office of Israel (2018). https://www.gov.il/he/pages/dec3709_2018
  2. ^ Psifas personalized medicine initiative, Ministry of Health of Israel. https://www.gov.il/he/pages/psifas
  3. ^ Psifas launched at the President’s Residence, National Digital Agency of Israel (2023). https://www.gov.il/he/pages/mosaic
  4. ^ Psifas, Israel Innovation Authority. https://innovationisrael.org.il/winner/פסיפס/
  5. ^ President of Israel hosts founders of Psifas, Office of the President of Israel (8 March 2023). https://www.president.gov.il/נשיא-המדינה-אירח-את-מקימי-מיזם-פסיפס-ל/
  6. ^ ACMG Recommendations for Reporting of Secondary Findings in Clinical Exome and Genome Sequencing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/clinvar/docs/acmg/
  7. ^ Israel Reference Genome Study & Genomic Diversity (IRGS), Psifas. https://partnership.psifas.org.il/reference-genome-study/

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