INMEGEN and NESTLÉ host the first international
Symposium on Nutrigenomics in Mexico
Mexico City, April 16, 2009.- The National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico (INMEGEN) and Nestlé, the world’s leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness, presented current major advances in molecular nutrition for disease prevention at the first International Symposium on Nutrigenomics, April 16 and 17, 2009 in Mexico City, Mexico.
Nestlé holded the Symposium concurrently with the fifth anniversary of the creation of the National Institute of Genomic Medicine Mexico (INMEGEN), strengthening its commitment to nutrigenomics research and its concern for the Nutrition, Health and Wellness of Mexican consumers.
The
opening ceremony was chaired by Dr. Jose Angel Cordova-Villalobos,
Ministry of Health, Dr. Gerardo Jimenez-Sanchez, Director General of
INMEGEN, Dr. Peter van Bladeren, Nestlé Research Center, Switzerland, Co - event organizer; Mr. Juan Carlos Marroquin Cuesta,
CEO of Nestle Group Mexico; Ms. Maria Luisa Serna, President of the Board of Directors of the Mexican Health Foundation; Jorge Arevalo-Chavez, Secretary of the Board Founder of INMEGEN, on behalf of Carlos Eduardo
Represas, President of the Board Founder of INMEGEN; Dr. Pedro Arroyo-Acevedo, representing Dr. Manuel Ruiz de Chavez, President of the
National Academy of Medicine, and Cesar Lara-Alvarez, Director of Entailment and Institutional Development of INMEGEN.
During the inauguration, Dr. Jose Angel Cordova said that the slogan of the Symposium invites to make analysis and reflection, and pointed out that the federal government has the firm conviction of promoting health projects. He also mentioned the Ministry of Health through the INMEGEN has participated in the second phase of the HapMap project that will identify the variations in the human genome, besides the Institute conducts studies confome the national priorities such as nutrigenomics, which is one of their lines of inquiry. He noted that the interaction of diet with genes plays a key role because it helps or harms health.
Dr. Gerardo Jimenez emphasized that the full development of nutrigenomics will have a major impact on public health, particularly in the timely diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cancer that will benefit an increasing number of people affected by these diseases. He noted that the symposium is a special occasion as a result of the linking with Nestlé, particularly with its Research Center in Switzerland, so it's gratifying to share the coordination of the event with Dr. Peter van Bladeren.
Dr. Jimenez emphasized that the support of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos, has been of the greatest importance for many areas of success in the INMEGEN, which reinforces the construction of the bases for more individualized, predictive and preventive medicine, and contributes a fair and equitable health care for Mexicans.
For his part, Dr. Peter van Bladeren said that nutrigenomics is one
of the research lines that mark the future, innovation is part of
Nestlé's philosophy and nutrigenomics a key point. He stressed that
in Nestlé are interested on doing great science with great scientists, and that's
why, the linking with INMEGEN.
For his part, Juan Carlos Marroquin added that the field of nutrigenomics is one of the lines for the future, nearly three years of association with INMEGEN bases have been established for the practice of this discipline.
At the Symposium, “From molecular nutrition to the prevention of disease,” experts will address issues related to chronic degenerative diseases including obesity, diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension, all of which contain a genetic component. Additionally, they will discuss how Western diets impact the Mexican population and play a critical role in the development of such diseases. An emphasis will be placed on obesity research and associated genetic phenotypes, since over 1.4 billion people around the world suffer from obesity, with the incidence in Mexico currently reaching almost 50 percent.
National and international experts from the INMEGEN, the National Institute of Pediatrics, the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ), the UNAM National Institute of Biomedical Research, and the Nestlé Research Center, among others, will take part in this Symposium.
Two major international speakers, Prof Peter van Bladeren, Head of Nestlé Science & Research, and Dr Martin Kussmann, senior scientist at Nestlé Reseacrh Center, will present two papers on “Nutrigenomics and Human Health” and” Omics in Nutrition and Health,” respectively.
The Symposium program includes sessions on nutrigenomics and human health, medical nutrigenomics, discovery biomarkers for cancer, gene-environment interactions as well as for heart diseases. All sessions will be concluded by an interactive discussion panel.
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