OriGen cohort: a Mexican population-based epidemiological and genomic research platform

BACKGROUND: Genomic information is transforming public health and personalised medicine by identifying genetic and environmental contributors to disease. However, Hispanic populations remain under-represented in global genomic datasets, limiting the relevance of findings for groups such as the Mexican population. The oriGen project, launched by Tecnológico de Monterrey, aims to address this disparity by establishing a nationally representative cohort of 100 000 Mexican adults. The project integrates clinical, lifestyle and genomic data to enable the study of gene-environment interactions, disease susceptibility and health disparities in Mexico and Latin America.

METHODS: oriGen is a prospective, population-based biobank recruiting participants from 18 metropolitan areas across 19 Mexican states using probabilistic, stratified, multistage sampling based on national statistical frameworks. Data collection includes electronic questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, vital signs and biological samples for biochemical analysis and genomic sequencing. Whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing are conducted in collaboration with national and international partners.

RESULTS: As of April 2025, 83 764 individuals (61% female) have been enrolled. The cohort slightly over-represents older adults and women. Baseline data show a high prevalence of obesity (40%), elevated blood pressure (mean 127.4/81.7 mm Hg) and elevated blood glucose (mean 133.3 mg/dL). Initial genomic analyses (n=1318) indicate an average admixture of 61.8% Native American, 32.4% European and 5.1% African ancestry, with regional variation.

CONCLUSION: oriGen represents one of the most comprehensive genomic epidemiology efforts in Mexico, offering a valuable resource for advancing equitable precision medicine and public health research in under-represented populations.