NIH accelerates genomics in clinical healthcare

Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The National Institutes of Health is funding $18.9 million in research to accelerate the use of genome sequencing for use in clinical care.

The research funding is part of the Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research, or CSER2, Consortium, which builds on the 2010 Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research, or CSER, Consortium.

"CSER's initial goal was more exploratory in nature to see if we could, in fact, integrate genome sequencing into clinical care," Lucia Hindorff, a program director in the National Human Genome Research Institute's Division of Genomic Medicine, said in a news release. "The exploratory focus allowed each site to develop its own approach. Working together, CSER investigators were effective in identifying common challenges and opportunities for advancing this integration."

CSER2 researchers will continue to generate proof for the need of genome sequencing in clinical care, with a focus on underserved individuals.

"Engaging patient populations that are traditionally underrepresented in genomics research, coupled with the inclusion of broader types of healthcare settings, will enrich the data that result from CSER2," Dr. Regina Smith James, director of Clinical and Health Services Research at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, said.

CSER2 is awarding grants to six clinical sites and one coordinating center to conduct research that covers geographical areas with racially diverse populations in Houston, Texas, and Harlem and the Bronx, in New York.

The new grants will go toward the development of methods needed to integrate genome sequencing into the practice of medicine, improve the discovery of genomic variants and study the impact of genome sequencing on healthcare outcomes.