SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre has announced a S$10m initiative to address sarcopenia, a condition affecting nearly one in three Singaporeans aged 60 and above. This marks Singapore’s first comprehensive research programme dedicated to understanding and treating muscle loss in ageing populations. The initiative, supported by the National Research Foundation and the Ministry of Health, aims to position Singapore as a leader in sarcopenia research.
The project, named MAGNET (Mechanistic Investigation and Clinical Innovation for Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Therapy), will utilise state-of-the-art investigative platforms and a unique collection of patient samples to explore the disease’s onset and progression. The research will focus on developing early diagnostic tools and discovering new therapeutic targets, particularly for Asian patients.
Professor Wang Yibin, Corresponding Principal Investigator of the MAGNET Programme, emphasised the urgency of the research, stating: “The health burden of sarcopenia is growing rapidly as our society ages, yet we are still in the early stages of understanding how it develops and how best to treat it.”
The initiative will involve over 400 patients from Sengkang General Hospital and aims to expand its cohort to 1,000 individuals. The research will incorporate cutting-edge AI, genomic, and molecular technologies to map the molecular and metabolic landscape of sarcopenia.
Clinical Associate Professor Frederick Koh highlighted the complexity of sarcopenia, noting its various causes, including ageing and chronic diseases. The research aims to dissect these underlying processes through collaboration across all public healthcare institutions.
The MAGNET initiative is expected to bring significant advancements in the screening, diagnosis, and management of sarcopenia, ultimately improving patient outcomes and quality of life.
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