Conference Synopsis
The publishing of the human genome in 2000, reflecting the marriage of science, technology, business and government, was pivotal to binging about truly modern medicine. We can now use the knowledge of human processes and systems to create individualized therapies. Personalized medicine will help us go beyond treating the symptoms of disease. It will provide the tools to treat wellness and prevent the emergence of disease. During the course of this year's conference we examined the tandem subjects of personalized medicine and clinical informatics. We explored the developing technologies, regulatory, business and legal issues which will evolve to enable the revolutionary promise of the post-genomic era. As a result of these developments, clinicians will be able to deliver the right drug to the right patient at the right time, and patient information (history, records and billing details) will be managed to help ensure safe, effective and efficient care in an environment where patient privacy is maintained.
Our Keynote Address, "Development of Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Bedside Applications" was given by Drs. Lance Liotta, M.D., Ph.D., and Emanuel Petricoin, Ph.D, Co-Directors of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, at George Mason University. As the focus of their cancer research, they have chosen to investigate proteins "which do all the work in the cells," said Dr. Liotta, in order to create diagnostics and treatments which may help discover disease early and treat it more efficiently with few or no side effects to the patient. To accomplish this, they set out to understand and develop the protein circuitry of the cell. "Cancer is a disease of cellular networks," Dr. Liotta added. "As we study proteins, and create data, we find some answers and many new questions about how proteins interact and what causes disease." There are many cancers, such as ovarian, that are currently discovered too late and after metastatic activity has occurred. "Protein testing will win the day by helping to find disease in earlier stages, for lower cost than genetic testing and less invasively than the standard tests of today," said Dr. Petricoin. Their goal is to develop tailored therapies that spare patients unnecessary toxicity and which help prevent and curb disease, allowing for longer term patient survival. Their research already has established in-place clinical applications for diseases such as ovarian cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and childhood rhabdomyosarcoma. Dr. Petricoin pointed out the enormous opportunity to use protein testing and treatments in countless diseases and the business benefits that could come from this emerging field.
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Luncheon Address - Kevin Davies, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, Bio-IT World Magazine and author of several books including, "Cracking the Genome", described "Indispensable Technologies for Personalized Medicine" in the Luncheon Address. He gave an overview of companies that are using and developing diagnostics and therapies in the field. "We are now in the Post Genomic era, where systems biology, in silico biology and processing power will be critical to finding new drug treatable targets and methods of treating disease." Dr. Davies spoke about companies producing drugs for diseases within specific populations, such as Nitromed that has created "Bi Dil", a treatment for heart failure in self-identified black patients. "These companies are studying Founder populations who are descended from a limited number of common ancestors and who have been isolated from intermarriage with outside groups for several generations by means of culture, religion, language, geography or some other factor. These populations may have high levels of genetic homogeneity making it possible to detect the presence of specific disease genes." Another interesting company he described was Genizen Biosciences who is working with the Quebec Founder population, one of the best populations in the world for use in gene mapping. Other companies are working with other Founder populations such as Icelanders, Finns from Eastern Finland, and members of certain religious groups. The creation of "ethnic" medicines is the first step toward more personalized medicines."
Go to synopsis contents Capstone Address - Anna Barker, Ph.D., Deputy Director for
Advanced Technologies and
Strategic Partnerships, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, our Capstone speaker spoke on "The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Future of Personalized Medicine." She described how the Atlas (a means of exploring the entire spectrum of genomic changes involved in human cancer) would help scientists develop individualized therapies. Even though "cancer killed 7.6 million people around the world in 2005," she said "several high profile cancers are showing first time ever declines in the death rates .....the numbers are especially improving for prostate and breast cancers. However, one in two men and one in three women will still die of cancer." This is because we have a reactive healthcare system which places little, if any, emphasis on prevention. Dr. Barker quoted T. S. Elliot who said, "hell is where everything is disconnected," and pointed out that the enormous amount of data available to us must be standardized to bring about an understanding of disease and prevention. NCI is piloting the Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIGtm), a voluntary network or grid connecting individuals and institutions to enable the sharing of data and tools, creating a World Wide Web of cancer research. The goal is to speed the delivery of innovative approaches for the prevention and treatment of cancer. The infrastructure and tools created by caBIG also have broad utility outside the cancer community. The idea is to bring databases and information together, including clinical results and proteomic and genomic data, to build upon the knowledge provided by the Human Genome Project that identified the approximately 20,000-30,000 genes in human DNA. This information will allow researchers to answer questions more rapidly and efficiently, thereby accelerating progress in all aspects of cancer study from research, to prevention, to early detection and treatment. Ultimately, because caBIG will provide a common unifying force that facilitates progress in cancer research, the most important beneficiaries will be cancer patients and the public at large. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA are the same letters or bases that make up the genetic code in the DNA of the 23 different pairs of human chromosomes), is a huge project, requiring the management and sequencing of vast collections of bio specimens, the selection of tumor biopsy specimens to save and study, and the analysis of patterns of disease. Dr. Barker predicted, "Within three years there will be two cancers completely typed. This organized, targeted process is all dependent upon cutting edge IT and will help bring about radical changes in biomedicine and truly personalized patient care."
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Breakout Panels - In addition, conference attendees had the option to choose from among three sets of morning and afternoon concurrent panels. The R & D in Science and Technology track dealt with "The Promise of the Post-Genomic Era: The Development of Personalized Medicine" and "The Need for a Changing Model in Pharma and Biotech Towards Personalized Medicine: Company Case Studies." The areas covered in the Business Development track were "US & International Business Issues in the Bio IT Industry" and "Building Quality Research Environments, IP Portfolios and Relationships: Opportunities and Challenges at the Intersection of Biotech and IT." Finally, the "Current Status" and "Future Vision" of Clinical Informatics were addressed. Go to synopsis contents
Best Practices Awards - After a networking cocktail party at the end of the sessions, the first day ended with our "Second Annual Best Practices in Bio IT Awards Dinner." The Bio IT Visionary Award was conferred on J. Craig Venter Institute for "advancing the understanding through Genomics of some of the world's most pressing health and environmental issues and for its dedication to education." Avalon Pharmaceuticals received the Bio IT Company Award because its "imagination, innovation, and intelligent risk-taking in the application of IT to the life sciences has led to dramatic progress in the advancement of Bio IT either through its own development or its influence on the industry." A new category this year war the Professor Daniele Struppa Educator Award. It was shared by Cornelius Diya, Head of the Science Department and Coordinator of the Biotechnology Program at McKinley High School in Washington, DC and Joshua Strong, Division Manager of Science and Technology at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, VA. Finally, the BIO IT Coalition Chairman's Special Award was given to Jay Doniger, Ph.D. for his many hours of extraordinary effort to help improve the Coalition and whose efforts has encouraged the strength of the bio medical community for the advancement of humankind!
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Communication Address - On Day 2 attendees met at the Prince William Campus of George Mason University for a lecture on science communication and a tour of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine. "Effective Ways to Communicate or Explain Science to Lay Audiences" was presented by Drs. Kathy Rowan, Ph.D. and Carl Botan, Ph.D., Professors in the Department of Communication, George Mason University. In a lively presentation, they analyzed the talks of several scientists from Day 1 of the Conference. "As a rule, science addresses questions of fact, but mass media and lay audiences address issues of value," said Dr. Rowan. So, no matter how "technically correct" technical responses are to lay or mass media questions, they are usually wrong because a technical question was not asked. Insisting on giving a technical response invalidates the questioner and denies access to information they feel they need to make decisions on their own terms. Dr. Rowan pointed out that Drs. Lance Liotta and Dr. Emanuel Petricoin used frequent metaphors to describe complex technical processes and said that the use of metaphor is a helpful strategy in communicating science because it uses the familiar to represent the unfamiliar. Metaphors tend to cluster into positive, negative or neutral messages. Positive bioscience metaphors for the concept of progress use words like breakthrough or revolutionary, whereas negative metaphors might include fear with words like Pandora's box or threat. Neutral metaphors might conjure images of books or codes or use engineering terms like programming or machine. Go to synopsis contents
Tour - Next, a tour of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine exemplified to the attendees cutting edge equipment and how highly skilled scientists are doing research on the discovery and identification of biomarkers (biological indicators of cellular function in body fluids or tissue) for early disease detection and risk assessment. They were also informed about the analysis of molecular pathways in diseased tissue for the determination of individualized and targeted treatment for patients. "Results of the research will then be translated directly into patient management and care through clinical research and innovative clinical trials, with a vision toward creating a new paradigm to personalize medical treatment, resulting in a positive impact on public health," said Dr. Petricoin. Dr. Liotta predicted, "Proteomics will be a major driver for advancing molecular medicine." "Patient-tailored medicine is the future of clinical practice," he added. George Mason's President, Dr. Alan Merten, has said about the Center "We are excited that Drs. Liotta and Petricoin have joined us in our mission to build a research program of national prominence."
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The links between technology, science and business in the life sciences will help innovation flourish and personal therapies develop. Personalized medicine will affect every person in the world, not only by improving the quality and length of our lives, but in providing economic benefit as the biomedical industry expands. |
