Chinese researchers identify new HLA gene variant recognized by WHO

(ECNS) - Researchers at Fudan Zhongshan Xiamen Hospital have identified a previously unrecorded human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele, which has since received an official designation from the World Health Organization, the hospital said on Wednesday.

The newly identified allele was published in the international journal HLA.

Lu Xiaoying, deputy director of the hospital's transfusion department, said the variant was found during routine blood testing of a healthy female volunteer. After obtaining her consent, researchers carried out further genetic analysis and turned up a sequence that matched no known entry in global genetic databases.

The team used nanopore sequencing and repeated verification before confirming that the allele had never been recorded anywhere in the world, Lu said.

The discovery adds to the global HLA database, which is widely used in matching for organ and stem-cell transplants, autoimmune disease research and precision medicine. Additional HLA records could improve donor matching and aid future studies of immune-related diseases, the researchers said.

(By Zhang Jiahao)