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patients respond to specifi c treatments, and disease prevention. One of the partici-
pants, Marshfi eld Clinic, is home to the Personalized Medicine Research Project, a
population-based genetic research project that has so far collected DNA and medi-
cal records from ~20,000 persons.
Role of Healthcare Organizations
Initially, Healthcare organizations did not show much interest in implementation of
personalized medicine. The fi rst example in the US is the Signature Genetics pro-
gram in Texas. Major health insurance companies such as Blue Cross and Blue
Shield are now interested in this topic. Other healthcare organizations are collabo-
rating with universities in developing personalized medicine. A recent example is in
Canada.
In November 2014, Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), University Health
Network, and University of Toronto announced the creation of the Ted Rogers
Centre for Heart Research, funded by a private donation of $115 million. Among
the methods that the new center will use are genomic technologies to decode the
genetic underpinnings of cardiac disease. The center will integrate research in
genomic medicine, stem cells, and bioengineering, to develop personalized disease
management. Research will cover the entire human life span, from childhood to
adulthood, with each partner focusing on improving a particular aspect of cardiac
health. SickKids will perform cardiogenomic studies to improve prediction of car-
diac disease before clinical manifestations and to provide personalized medicine to
both children and adults. In 2012 it partnered with Life Technologies (now part of
Thermo Fisher Scientifi c) to establish the Centre for Genetic Medicine, with a goal
of sequencing 10,000 pediatric genomes per year. University Health Network will
use bioinformatics to translate discoveries into advances in healthcare delivery and
development of personalized medicine. University of Toronto’s Institute for
Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering will apply stem cell technology and
novel approaches in cellular and tissue engineering to the cutting-edge science of
regenerating heart muscle, coronary vessels, and heart valves. Research at the
University of Toronto will also focus on how genetic, cellular, and molecular signal-
ing networks function as the heart develops. The research center will bring together
more than 30 expert scientists and clinicians from the three institutions, as well as
up to 80 graduate students, postdocs, and clinical fellows.
Role of the Medical Profession
Substantial advances are being made in genomics and the results are beginning to
play an important role in the practice of general clinical medicine. It is important for
physicians involved in clinical practice to become more aware of emerging genomic
20 Development of Personalized Medicine