Researchers will investigate how to best match treatments to individual patients depending on their genetic makeup at a new Australian research institute.
The Ian Potter Centre for Genomics and Personalised Medicine in Melbourne will focus initially on immune disorders and cancer in adults and children.
Using new genomic sequencing technologies, scientists from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research will examine children's food allergies, juvenile arthritis, leukaemia, neural tumours and colon cancer.
'One of the major sources of inefficiency in our health care system is the one-size-fits-all approach to treatment,' said Professor Liam O'Connor, from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.
'Whether we consider the use of therapies for rheumatoid arthritis or conventional chemotherapy for cancer, many people embarking on a generic treatment plan may gain little or no benefit.'
Professor Andrew Sinclair from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute said scientists would analyse patients' genetic profiles to allow doctors to match this to the best treatment plan.
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Personalised genetic research labs open