Genome Canada’s 2017 Large-Scale Applied Research Project (LSARP) Competition will support six innovative projects led or co-led by investigators at BC Children’s Hospital, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, including:
Genomic and outcomes database for pharmacogenomics and implementation studies (Go-PGx)
“For kids with cancer, chemotherapy is life-saving but brings with it the risk of life-threatening complications. Through genomic-driven precision medicine, we can identify children at risk for these complications before they are treated. The GO-PGx project will make this testing available at 10 children’s hospitals across Canada, expanding our capacity to predict serious complications and generally making medications safer for our kids,” said Dr. Bruce Carleton, Senior Clinician Scientist and Director, Pharmaceutical Outcomes Programme, BC Children’s; and Division Head, Translational Therapeutics and Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC.
The powerful drugs that treat cancer can sometimes have unintended consequences. Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs), also known as “side-effects,” can result in pain and disability, interruptions in treatment and even death. Research led by Dr. Carleton has identified some of the genetic differences that can identify whether a child is at increased risk of developing ADRs and has implemented this predictive test at BC Children’s. The Go-PGx project aims to expand these efforts by:
- Analysing more than more than 6,125 DNA samples and corresponding clinical data to improve the capacity to test for genetic susceptibility to ADRs
- Developing educational tools for physicians and families
- Creating a comprehensive database on ADRs that will be accessible to researchers worldwide
- Introducing testing for ADRs at 10 pediatric centres across Canada
Dr. Carleton leads this project with co-principal investigator Dr. Colin Ross, BC Children’s and UBC; and Dr. Rod Rassekh, BC Children’s and UBC. This project is based at BC Children’s, BC Women’s and UBC.
