A UCLA Health study published on Apr. 17 in Cell reports that the diverse datasets from the UCLA ATLAS Community Health Initiative Biobank have led to new findings about how genetics influence disease risk and response to treatments. The biobank, which includes health records from nearly 94,000 participants, reflects the broad range of ancestries present in Los Angeles and allows researchers to compare genetic influences on health across populations within a single health system.
The findings are significant because they highlight how studying a diverse patient population can reveal connections between genes, diseases, and medication responses that may not be seen in less varied groups. This could help improve personalized medicine by tailoring risk assessments and treatments based on individual DNA.
Researchers found that response to GLP-1 drugs for weight loss differed among ancestry groups and was linked to genetic risk for type 2 diabetes. By integrating proteomics data from patients treated with these drugs, they identified an association between semaglutide response and the gene PTPRU—providing what they describe as “the first evidence of a genetic link” supporting further investigation of this pathway. Dr. Daniel Geschwind, senior associate dean at UCLA who oversees ATLAS, said: “This isn’t a small lab finding. ATLAS represents a sweeping cross-section of real patients, making its discoveries directly translatable to the groups of people medicine has historically left behind.”
Dr. Roni Haas, lead author of the paper, said: “Although many other efforts to integrate electronic health records with genetic data have advanced genetic and biomedical discovery, they’ve often had a heavy concentration of homogeneous populations of European ancestry… The biobank reflects the diversity of Los Angeles: participants span five continental ancestries and 36 fine-scale ancestry groups.” The study also uncovered previously unreported links between rare gene variants and specific diseases within certain ancestry groups—for example ANKZF1 with peripheral vascular disease in African individuals—and evaluated polygenic risk scores for common conditions like type 1 diabetes.
The publicly available web portal now presents thousands of heritable associations with diseases across different ancestries along with estimates for over 1,200 conditions. According to the official website, University of California Los Angeles is known for notable figures such as Nobel laureates and MacArthur Fellows; it operates within the University of California system; supports academic excellence across scholarship, arts and athletics; fosters diverse perspectives through research programs; features a large campus spanning over 419 acres; and has achieved national as well as international acclaim.
Geschwind said: “These findings showcase how UCLA Health’s unique patient populations add significantly to understanding the genetic basis of medical disorders across the spectrum…” He added that pilot studies are underway aiming for immediate clinical impact based on these results.
Broader implications include improving precision medicine tools so their benefits extend beyond historically studied populations—helping ensure future treatments are effective for all communities represented in modern urban centers.
