Downey Leads Crucial Initiatives in Personalized Medicine
Greg Downey, MD, is overseeing the creation of three ground-breaking initiatives.
National Jewish is launching three ground-breaking initiatives that will support its pioneering efforts to develop personalized medicine programs. Greg Downey, MD , Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Drs. Harold and Mary Zirin Chair in Pulmonary Biology, is overseeing the creation of the Integrated Bioinformation and Specimen Center, the Center for Genetics and Therapeutics and the Institute for Advanced Biomedical Imaging™.
“I believe these new initiatives will give us the potential to transform the practice of medicine from a reactive model to a proactive one,” said Dr. Downey. “These initiatives will allow us to provide care based on the unique characteristics of each patient.”
The Integrated Bioinformation and Specimen Center
The Integrated Bioinformation and Specimen Center will be a centralized repository of tissue samples from throughout the institution. The samples will be anonymous so patient privacy is protected. However, the tissue samples will be linked to information about the patient who donated them, including diagnosis, CT scans, X-rays, genetics and more. They will offer a tremendous resource for researchers seeking biomarkers that can help predict if a person will get a disease, the likely course of that disease, and what medications will work for patients with that specific biomarker. For example, Drs. Russ Bowler and Raul Torres recently took advantage of a repository of tissue samples to identify a protein, Arhgef1, which appears to play a role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The Center for Genetics and Therapeutics
The Center for Genetics and Therapeutics will take advantage of such discoveries by developing new tests that evaluate patients for the presence or absence of important biomarkers. For instance, National Jewish researchers recently identified a genetic mutation that alters the response of asthma patients to the medication albuterol. Advanced diagnostics will help determine which patients have that mutation so that physicians will know who should and should not receive that medication. The center will evaluate a person’s genes, proteins, metabolic byproducts and more to develop an invaluable personal profile, which will guide ongoing diagnosis, care and monitoring of patients.
The Institute for Advanced Biomedical Imaging™
The Institute for Advanced Biomedical Imaging™ will include cutting-edge technology, such as 64-slice CT scanners, a PET/CT scanner, and an MRI, which will allow much better visualization not only of structures inside the body but also the processes that are occurring. For instance, the combined PET/CT scanner will show chemical processes occurring inside cells as well as display three-dimensional anatomy that can pinpoint where they are occurring. Images of the lungs and heart will also be much easier to capture, as well as give sharper, faster results because the machines work more rapidly. National Jewish also plans to work with manufacturers of the imaging equipment to develop more advanced diagnostic and imaging techniques.
“Personalized medicine is the future of medicine,” said Dr. Downey. “These three initiatives will put us at the forefront of this emerging field.”
To learn more about personalized medicine, listen to our podcast featuring National Jewish CEO Michael Salem, MD.
Learn about other research initiatives at National Jewish.
