TECH OUTLOOKMarch - 2018 19Genomics Sciences and Precision MedicineBy Raul Urrutia, Director, Genomics Sciences and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC) and Warren P. Knowles, Professor of Genomics Sciences and Precision Medicine. Professor of Surgery and Biochemistry, Medical College of WisconsinThe Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC) at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), originally called the Human and Molecular Genetics Center (HMGC),was founded in the late 1990s. In its early years, the center followed the lead of the National Genome Project and worked on the application of genomics methodology for research purposes. Subsequently, it was the first in the country to apply genomics to clinical sequencing. This was an important step ahead as it would provide a proof of principle for not only research sequencing, but also core methodologies for the human genome project. Today, through the aid of sequencing, we know that 30 percent of individuals with rare undiagnosed diseases can now be diagnosed. In addition, from that early stage of innovation, we have significantly advanced by keeping pace with the evolving genomics space. Today the field looks quite different and leverages many disciplines in addition to genomic medicine. The HMGC began as a pure genomics center and was relaunched and renamed the Genomics Sciences and Precision Medicine Center in 2017 to reflect the expansion of our more comprehensive assays and services.The Evolving Field of GenomicsEarly applications of genomics methodology are not enough to satisfy the needs of precision medicine today. Collectively, there are a variety of methodologies that have been derived as a result of completing and extending the knowledge acquired from the human genome project which provide unique information about a person's genetic code. The disciplines that have been a part of the precision medicine arsenal are known as individualized medicine and are divided into seven broad terms:· Cancer Genomics· Non-cancer Clinical Genomics ("Clinomics")· Epigenomics· Microbiome Sciences· Pharmacogenomics· Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases· Bioinformatics and Data AnalyticsThese evolving disciplines have given rise to a remarkable revolution in precision medicine since they allow us to know whether our genes, as they interact with environmental exposures and lifestyle, will define our state of wellness or disease.The Importance of Precision MedicineIn the GSPMC, we study patients with genomic differences including Caucasians from Germany, African Americans, and Latin Americans from Spain, etc. These individuals will not only have genetic differences but also distinct cultural practices that will determine their environmental exposure and lifestyle. These differences, as studied by our precision medicine experts, CXO INSIGHTS
< Page 9 | Page 11 >