title: Harmonizing the interpretation of genetic variants across the world: the Malaysian experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Databases for gene variants are very useful for sharing genetic data and to facilitate the understanding of the genetic basis of diseases. This report summarises the issues surrounding the development of the Malaysian Human Variome Project Country Node. The focus is on human germline variants. Somatic variants, mitochondrial variants and other types of genetic variation have corresponding databases which are not covered here, as they have specific issues that do not necessarily apply to germline variations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ethical, legal, social issues, intellectual property, ownership of the data, information technology implementation, and efforts to improve the standards and systems used in data sharing are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An overarching framework such as provided by the Human Variome Project to co-ordinate activities is invaluable. Country Nodes, such as MyHVP, enable human gene variation associated with human diseases to be collected, stored and shared by all disciplines (clinicians, molecular biologists, pathologists, bioinformaticians) for a consistent interpretation of genetic variants locally and across the world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Medicine and Genetics, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia. nnorliza69@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nik Norliza Nik
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Medicine and Genetics, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia. johnpaul@variome.org.
authors.forename: John-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Plazzer
authors.affiliation: Human Variome Project, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. tim@variome.org.
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Medicine and Genetics, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia. halimfikri@gmail.com.|Faculty of Medicine, Medical Campus, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Jln. Sultan Mahmud, 20400, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. halimfikri@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hashim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Halim-Fikri
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Medicine and Genetics, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia. finlay.macrae@mh.org.au.|Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. finlay.macrae@mh.org.au.
authors.forename: Finlay
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Macrae
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Medical Campus, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Jln. Sultan Mahmud, 20400, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. azubaidi@unisza.edu.my.
authors.forename: A A L
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zubaidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, 16150, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. zilfalil@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bin Alwi
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Zilfalil
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D030541:Databases, Genetic / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000941:ethics; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male