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UTHealth Part of Unprecedented NHLBI Grant to Bring Adult Whole Genome Sequencing to Clinical Space

Program brings whole genome sequencing and other “omic” technologies that monitor the expression of the genome in response to the environment to the forefront of clinical research

by University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
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Eric BoerwinkleEric Boerwinkle, PhD, dean of UTHealth School of Public Health.Photo credit: Nash BakerHOUSTON – The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), in collaboration with the Human Genome Sequencing Center at  Baylor College of Medicine (HGSC), is a participant in a $500 million program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program to bring whole genome sequencing and other “omic” technologies that monitor the expression of the genome in response to the environment to the forefront of clinical research.

Through its TOPMed program, NHLBI is expanding its dedication to advancing the understanding of the underpinnings of complex diseases and how they develop. Previously, the HGSC was awarded funding by NHLBI to sequence whole genomes for TOPMed studies such as sickle cell disease, and venous thromboembolism and will continue to expand this effort in the next phase of the program. The new contract will span five years. In addition to the whole genome sequencing component, the TOPMed program will also provide analysis of other datatypes over the course of the contract period, including RNA transcription sequencing, DNA methylation, metabolomics profiles, and other “omics,” including analysis of the microbiome. The initial award from NHLBI supports the whole genome sequencing of 20,000 samples at the HGSC in the first year of the program. 

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To support this trans-omic approach, the HGSC will continue its ongoing collaboration with the Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research (CMMR) at Baylor and UTHealth School of Public Health, which would aid in executing the methylation and metabolomics tasks. The team was deemed eligible to perform all elements of these additional analyses. 

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“The TOPMed program and resulting data will allow us to better understand the link between pediatric and adult disease genes, thereby creating enhanced diagnostics for adult diseases and disorders. There are direct clinical applications to improve and individualize care for these adult diseases within the Texas Medical Center,” said Eric Boerwinkle, Ph.D., dean of UTHealth School of Public Health and associate director of the HGSC.

“There is a significant need for large sample sizes; a need that goes beyond the research setting and into the clinic,” said Richard Gibbs, Ph.D., director of the HGSC and professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor. “We are grateful to be a part of the TOPMed program which will allow us to access this large sample number and obtain valuable insights into adult heart disease, sickle cell disease, atrial fibrillation and other heart, lung, and hematologic disorders. 

The HGSC has been operational for more than 20 years, gaining international recognition as a large-scale DNA sequencing and analysis center, and is currently a Center for Complex Disease Genomics supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Human Genome Research Institute. A key mission of the HGSC is to use genetic approaches to guide discovery and diagnosis of human disease, which offers insight into new therapeutic strategies, echoing the bench-to-bedside framework that is the foundation of the national Precision Medicine Initiative. This mission has been greatly enhanced and facilitated by a collaboration with Boerwinkle, who leads a group of population and data scientists at UTHealth with expertise in analyzing genomic information to discover new disease genes and improve diagnosis. The TOPMed project will better enable the HGSC and UTHealth to pursue this mission to move adult whole genome sequencing into the clinical setting, supporting the advance of precision medicine.

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The whole genome and other data made available by TOPMed has the capability to be analyzed to provide a more comprehensive picture of what factors may lead to, or protect against, common disease development. The UTHealth team is one of four analysis centers in the country catalyzing new discoveries using this data.

The flow of data will begin with the HGSC, which will receive samples from NHLBI investigators. The HGSC will perform the whole genome sequencing, and is eligible for RNA sequencing, operably distributing the samples to UTHealth for methylation and metabolomics profiling, and to Baylor’s CMMR for metagenomic analysis as program needs dictate. The data from all three sources would then be funneled into a data sharing portal and relayed back to TOPMed.

-Adapted from a news release by Baylor College of Medicine