Genetics may lead to better medicine

Scientists predict a day when medications are selected based on a patient's individual genetic characteristics. The University of Utah and IBM plan to be among those making that a reality.

IBM, the U. and its not-for-profit biotechnology research and licensing company, LineaGen Research Corp., will announce today in Boston a collaboration to advance the use of genetic information to individualize patient care.

"We have a vision of, 10-12 years from now, a real revolution in the practice of medicine so medications can be selected to optimize the likelihood an individual will respond," said Dr. Stephen Prescott, executive director of the U.'s Huntsman Cancer Institute.

At the center of the efforts are the Utah Population Database and the Utah Genetic Reference Project Database, located at the U. Health Sciences Center. IBM built the infrastructure so information from the databases and other sources can be melded together and analyzed. One of the biggest challenges has always been figuring out how to integrate different types of information, from medical histories to biochemical data, genetic information and genealogy.

The population database has more than 7 million records with population and demographic information that is linked to medical information, including diagnosis, pharmacy records, imaging and pathology. The genetic-reference database has DNA with genotypic and phenotypic characteristics collected from more than 600 people in about 45 Utah families, spanning generations. It has already been used extensively in mapping studies to identify genes linked to various genetic diseases and disorders.

They hope the collaboration will also tackle such barriers to effective medical care as side effects and drug efficacy.

Medicine today often takes a "one-size-fits-all approach to treatment," said Michael Svinte, vice president of information-based medicine for IBM. "In many cases, it treats the 'statistically average patient,' who really doesn't exist. We're talking about really being able to say that based on your particular genetic profiles, those with like characteristics have responded to this type of treatment or therapy."

"We hope this project will lead to discovery of biomarkers — some kind of test that can use blood or urine or saliva to tell us this person with high blood pressure or asthma or cancer is most likely to respond to this medication," Prescott said.