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Congressmen announce $4 million genomic medicine project

News Archives
08/28/2004

(July 14, 2003) Congressmen Howard Coble and Brad Miller came to The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital today to announce that they anticipate $4 million in federal funding for a landmark research project to be conducted by Moses Cone Health System, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Duke University Medical Center.

Called the Guilford Genomic Medicine Project, the effort will build off of research from the Human Genome Project to identify ways to treat, prevent or reduce disease. The research will focus on cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease.

The groundbreaking project could put Guilford County on the map as a leader in genomic medicine, officials said during the press conference.

The funding was in the Department of Defense appropriations bill passed by the House of Representatives last week. It must be considered by the U.S. Senate and then agreed upon in a conference committee, but officials said today that they are confident the appropriation will be approved.

The project will have three parts. Moses Cone Health System will bring the research to the patient's bedside, testing the ability of genomic medicine to improve quality of care. Within a year, clinical trials and pilot programs could be set up through area cardiology and geriatric practices. Patients would volunteer to participate, provide blood samples and undergo genetic testing.

'If we can determine who has a predisposition for a disease, we can work with them to help prevent it or to help it occur later in their life,' said Dennis Barry, President and Chief Executive Officer, Moses Cone Health System. 'This is a long-term project.'

'Guilford County is a good place for this research because we have a stable, yet diverse, population,' Barry said. He also cited the System's Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence, its three long-term care centers and the more than 800 physicians on its medical staff. 'We have a very rich set of resources here.'

Duke University Medical Center, under the leadership of Margaret Pericak-Vance, will analyze samples from System patients, conduct the genetic research and maintain and develop the DNA database.

At the same time, UNC-G will provide educational resources that teach local physicians and citizens about genomic research and what it can do for them, said Patricia Sullivan, chancellor of UNC-G. The university is well positioned to do that, with its master's program in genetic counseling and the UNC-G Institute of Health, Science and Society, she said.

"This project is hugely important to UNC-G, Moses Cone Health System and Guilford County and will be of great economic consequence to this area for the next generation or more," said U.S. Rep. Brad Miller (NC-13). "The next frontier will be understanding the human genome and this project will ensure Guilford County and the Triad will be at the forefront of the research."

Central to the project is a series of pilot clinical programs targeted at cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders that greatly affect veterans and older Americans.

"I am particularly excited about the opportunities this project would present for the veterans of Guilford County," said U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (NC-6). "It is my understanding that Guilford County veterans will be among the beneficiaries of this pilot project, and the knowledge derived from their voluntary participation could eventually benefit not only the Department of Defense but every family across our nation."

U.S. Rep. Mel Watt (NC-12) also expressed his enthusiasm for the project.

"I am pleased to be a part of the effort to secure funding for the Guilford Genomic Medicine Project," Watt said. "The project is an ambitious, cutting-edge healthcare initiative that draws upon the unique strengths of several partner institutions, including Moses Cone Health System, which will benefit the Triad and North Carolina."

Four other members of North Carolina's Congressional delegation signed letters in support of the project: U.S. Reps. Richard Burr (NC-5), Robin Hayes (NC-8), David Price (NC-4) and Walter Jones (NC-3).

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