PHG Foundation | Monthly news round-up

  PHG Foundation genomics and policy news
    17 January 2012
   To receive our monthly round-up by email please register here (also gives access to our Resources section)
   

 

Top stories this month
Clinical innovation and translation have been major themes recently, with new moves from the UK government to drive the transfer of biomedical innovations to the marketplace and into health care practice.

UK government gives boost to biomedical translation
Boosting innovation in the UK health service
Knighthood for PHG Foundation trustee

Opinion: Are companion diagnostics a help or a hindrance?
This month we focus on developments in stratified medicine, and particularly the issue of whether companion diagnostics pose a regulatory obstacle.

Drivers and barriers for companion diagnostics

Policy issues
Efforts to reduce the regulatory burden for new medicines in the UK are underway, whilst a legal test case in the US could have major implications for personalised medicines. China and the US are clamping down on unregulated stem cell treatments.

Consultation on simplifying UK medicines legislation
Patenting personalised medicine
Genetics education for social scientists
China and the US act on illegal stem cell treatments

Genomic medicine
The Mayo Clinic has unveiled an ambitious new project to determine just how clinically useful whole genome sequences can be, companies release machines that claim to offer whole genome sequencing in a day, and trials show promise for the treatment and prevention of serious diseases.

Major project to assess value of genomic medicine
Whole-genome sequencing in a day?
Early gene therapy trials for haemophilia B show promise
Genetic key may unlock multiple sclerosis prevention

Genetic data and research projects
As new developments in large-scale genetic research on autism and asthma are highlighted, experts discuss how to maximise the utility of genetic data from scientific and clinical trials and new analytical tools may yield key information on how genomes change over time.

Multi-purpose genetics data for science and health
Expansion of autism genetic research database
Asthma genome project focuses on African-Americans
Coloured graphs reveal hidden gene variants

Other research news
The role of genetic variants in susceptibility to cancers and severe forms of flu are reported, along with concerns about the utility of mouse models for regenerative medicine research.

Chimeric monkeys raise concerns for stem cell medicine
Gene variants not linked to flu deaths
Faulty DICER gene links rare cancers

New reviews and commentaries

Our selection of interesting recent articles

Other news

Most BRCA mutation carriers share results with their children
Gene research sheds light on rare immune disease
Human genome: hype or reality?
Scientists say telomeres predict length of life
Genetic predictors of response to colorectal cancer treatment
New blood biomarker could detect extent of heart attack
Supercentenarians have good genes that fight off bad genes
Major personalised medicine test may be pointless
Expansion of phenotyping projects
Genetic variants predispose to weight regain
Rare drug development by families of ill children
Genetic mutation linked to heart arrythmia
DNA methylation markers for type 2 diabetes risk
Geneticists call for regulation of DTC sequencing tests
Mutant U2AF1 ID'd in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Last Updated: 17 January 2012