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Role of the Centers for Disease Control
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has two projects involved
in personalized medicine research and oversight, one examining genomics practices
in general and the other specifi cally focused on the environmental aspects of
genomics.
Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention (EGAPP) is a
pilot project initiated by the CDC Offi ce of Public Health Genomics. The project’s
goal is to establish and evaluate a systematic, evidence-based process for assessing
genetic tests and other applications of genomic technology in transition from
research to clinical and public health practice (see later in this section).
Human Genome Epidemiology Network (HuGENet) is a project aimed at incor-
porating pharmacogenomics into the practice of public health by assessing the
impact of environmental factors on the genetic variations present in large popula-
tions. It is a global collaboration of individuals and organizations committed to the
assessment of the human genome variation’s impact on population health and how
genetic information can be used to improve health and prevent disease.
Role of Academic Institutions in the US
Universities are not directly involved in the development of personalized medicine
but research in pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics is in progress at several
academic centers and nonprofi t institutes and it is being applied to patient care.
Many of these programs are supported by the US government through NIH. There
are some collaborative programs between the academia and the industry that are
relevant to personalized medicine. It is beyond the scope of this book to provide an
up-to-date directory of all the academic institutes that are involved in personalized
medicine. A few of these programs will be described here briefl y.
Baylor College of Medicine
Signature Genetics™ (Seryx LLC) is a new tool of personalized medicine intro-
duced at the HealthTexas Provider Network (Baylor College of Medicine), which is
designed to assist physicians in customizing drug prescriptions based on an indi-
vidual patient’s unique genetic makeup, as well as identify potential drug interac-
tions. This technology combines the results of genetic testing for a specifi c patient
with scientifi c knowledge on how genetic variations impact drug metabolism. This
is an ongoing service that can be used throughout the patient's lifetime as medica-
tions are prescribed.
First, the patient visits the physician’s offi ce and has his or her blood drawn and a
cheek swab analysis. These samples are sent to a laboratory. Four to six weeks later,
20 Development of Personalized Medicine