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From functional genomics to personalised medicine: ten years of an ESF Research Networking Programme
New Biotechnology Volume 30, Number 3 March 2013
PREFACE
preface From functional genomics to personalised medicine: ten years of an ESF Research Networking Programme Kirsten Steinhausen1,2, [email protected], [email protected]
Research Networking Programmes (RNPs) from the European Science Foundation were initiated several years ago to improve European scientific collaboration in different areas. Since then they have been shown to be extremely successful funding instruments — in many cases they have resulted in successful proposals for other funding programmes at the European level or in important strategic activities. The area of functional genomics has been funded for 11 years at ESF. The two RNPs ‘Integrated Approaches for Functional Genomics’ (2000– 2005) and ‘Frontiers of Functional Genomics’ (2006–2011) have been extremely successful. Different activities such as workshops, training courses, conferences and grants for short term inter-laboratory visits brought together a wide range of functional genomic researchers in Europe and the results have been outstanding. Within the Research Networking Programme functional genomics have been explored for the past 11 years in different areas such as emerging technologies, Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Functional Genomics & Biomedicine and in a broader perspective to include environmental factors and societal impact. The results of these Research Networking Programmes have facilitated the rapid spread of new technologies and ideas through their networking activities. In addition the interdisciplinary and international networking let to a new understanding of functional genomics and thus to the concept of personalised medicine. Scientists from this Research Networking Programme influenced a very important strategic activity of the European Science Foundation, the Forward Look ‘Personalised Medicine for the European Citizen’.3 3
ESF Forward Look ‘Personalised Medicine for the European Citizen’: towards more precise medicine for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease (iPM), December 2012, ISBN Number: 978-2-918428-90-9. 276
www.elsevier.com/locate/nbt
Personalised medicine is a new approach to classifying, understanding, treating, and preventing disease based on data and information on individual biological and environmental differences. It seeks to integrate data on the entire, dynamic biological makeup of each individual including environmental and lifestyle factors and could result in a shift from reactive medicine to proactive, pre-emptive, and preventive healthcare. The Forward Look process was initiated in 2010 by the five scientific standing committees at the European Science Foundation: Biomedical Sciences (European Medical Research Councils), Life, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences and Physical and Engineering Sciences. The whole process was supported by a very active scientific committee consisting of high-level experts from different disciplines: Professor Stephen Holgate (Medical Research Council, School of Medicine, University of Southampton (UK)); Professor Aarno Palotie (Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) University of Helsinki (FI); Professor Barbara Prainsack (CBAS, Sociology and Communications, Brunel University (UK)), Professor Angela Brand (Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Maastricht (NL), and Professor Hans Lehrach (Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, (DE)).
The Forward Look process comprised of a series of meetings with many experts from very different areas and in-depth interviews with different key stakeholders in personalised medicine. The final report was published in December 2012. It results in a set of recommendations under four core headings: data handling and the concept of a new disease taxonomy; new models and decision-making processes from safety assessment to reimbursement; interdisciplinarity, stakeholder participation and translational research; and finally new infrastructures and funding resources. These
1871-6784/$ - see front matter ß 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2013.01.004
New Biotechnology Volume 30, Number 3 March 2013
involved for the excellent work they have done and hope that this important research activity will be continued. Kirsten Steinhausen1,2 Biomedical Sciences, European Science Foundation, 1 quai Lezay-Marne´sia, 67080 Strasbourg, France 2 Furtwangen University, Robert-Gerwig-Platz 1, 78120 Furtwangen, Germany 1
Preface
recommendations have now to be implemented to enhance personalised healthcare in Europe. The successful work of the two RNPs in functional genomics was a very important prerequisite for this activity which generated a huge international feedback. We hereby thank the Chair of the Research Networking Programmes, Professor Mike Taussig, the scientific committee and all the scientists
www.elsevier.com/locate/nbt
277
PREFACE
preface From functional genomics to personalised medicine: ten years of an ESF Research Networking Programme Kirsten Steinhausen1,2, [email protected], [email protected]
Research Networking Programmes (RNPs) from the European Science Foundation were initiated several years ago to improve European scientific collaboration in different areas. Since then they have been shown to be extremely successful funding instruments — in many cases they have resulted in successful proposals for other funding programmes at the European level or in important strategic activities. The area of functional genomics has been funded for 11 years at ESF. The two RNPs ‘Integrated Approaches for Functional Genomics’ (2000– 2005) and ‘Frontiers of Functional Genomics’ (2006–2011) have been extremely successful. Different activities such as workshops, training courses, conferences and grants for short term inter-laboratory visits brought together a wide range of functional genomic researchers in Europe and the results have been outstanding. Within the Research Networking Programme functional genomics have been explored for the past 11 years in different areas such as emerging technologies, Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Functional Genomics & Biomedicine and in a broader perspective to include environmental factors and societal impact. The results of these Research Networking Programmes have facilitated the rapid spread of new technologies and ideas through their networking activities. In addition the interdisciplinary and international networking let to a new understanding of functional genomics and thus to the concept of personalised medicine. Scientists from this Research Networking Programme influenced a very important strategic activity of the European Science Foundation, the Forward Look ‘Personalised Medicine for the European Citizen’.3 3
ESF Forward Look ‘Personalised Medicine for the European Citizen’: towards more precise medicine for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease (iPM), December 2012, ISBN Number: 978-2-918428-90-9. 276
www.elsevier.com/locate/nbt
Personalised medicine is a new approach to classifying, understanding, treating, and preventing disease based on data and information on individual biological and environmental differences. It seeks to integrate data on the entire, dynamic biological makeup of each individual including environmental and lifestyle factors and could result in a shift from reactive medicine to proactive, pre-emptive, and preventive healthcare. The Forward Look process was initiated in 2010 by the five scientific standing committees at the European Science Foundation: Biomedical Sciences (European Medical Research Councils), Life, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences and Physical and Engineering Sciences. The whole process was supported by a very active scientific committee consisting of high-level experts from different disciplines: Professor Stephen Holgate (Medical Research Council, School of Medicine, University of Southampton (UK)); Professor Aarno Palotie (Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) University of Helsinki (FI); Professor Barbara Prainsack (CBAS, Sociology and Communications, Brunel University (UK)), Professor Angela Brand (Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Maastricht (NL), and Professor Hans Lehrach (Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, (DE)).
The Forward Look process comprised of a series of meetings with many experts from very different areas and in-depth interviews with different key stakeholders in personalised medicine. The final report was published in December 2012. It results in a set of recommendations under four core headings: data handling and the concept of a new disease taxonomy; new models and decision-making processes from safety assessment to reimbursement; interdisciplinarity, stakeholder participation and translational research; and finally new infrastructures and funding resources. These
1871-6784/$ - see front matter ß 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2013.01.004
New Biotechnology Volume 30, Number 3 March 2013
involved for the excellent work they have done and hope that this important research activity will be continued. Kirsten Steinhausen1,2 Biomedical Sciences, European Science Foundation, 1 quai Lezay-Marne´sia, 67080 Strasbourg, France 2 Furtwangen University, Robert-Gerwig-Platz 1, 78120 Furtwangen, Germany 1
Preface
recommendations have now to be implemented to enhance personalised healthcare in Europe. The successful work of the two RNPs in functional genomics was a very important prerequisite for this activity which generated a huge international feedback. We hereby thank the Chair of the Research Networking Programmes, Professor Mike Taussig, the scientific committee and all the scientists
www.elsevier.com/locate/nbt
277