Scots gene science ‘will change NHS’

● Pioneering technology that sequences a person’s genetic make-up in under three days to revolutionise patient care

DNA tests are predicted to transform NHS care over the next 70 years thanks to major investments in gene sequencing technology.

Researchers at the Scottish Genomes Partnership say pioneering techniques that can sequence a p erson’s genetic make -up in less than three days will transform healthcare.

The par tnership’s findings are already helping to improve the diagnoses of patients in the Scottish NHS.

DNA tests have the po tential to transform the next 70 years of NHS care thanks to work carried out by the Scottish Genomes Partnership, a collaboration of the countries universities.

Patients in Scotland are set to benefit from a revolution in personalised healthcare, thanks to major investments in gene sequencing technology. Researchers say pioneering techniques that can sequence a person’ s entire genetic make-up in under three days have the potential to transform patient care in the coming decades.

The setting up of two cuttin g-edge centres for genome sequencing, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the contribution of NHS staff from across Scotland, have laid the foundations that will make the transformation possible.

Work carried out by the Scottish Genomes Partnership, a collaboration led by the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee and NHS Scotland, has given researchers unprecedented access to sequencing technologies.

Findings from the project are already helping to improve diagnoses of patients in the Scottish NHS, as well as advancing the understanding of rare and common diseases including cancer.

More than 400 NHS Scotland patients and their families have now had their entire genetic make-up de coded under the scheme. NHS Scotland Regional Genetics Services have identified sufficient patients with rare inherited conditions to allocate the remainder of the 1,000 genome s available in Scotland as part of the 100,000 Genomes Project.

Prof Tim Aitman, director of the Centre of Genomic and Experimental Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, is cochair of the Scottish Genomes Partnership.

He said: “As the NHS turns 70, it is the perfect opportunity for the Scottish Genomes Partnership to highlight its hope for the future through the successful partnership between four of Scotland’ s medical schools, the NHS Scotland Genetics and Laboratory services and Genomics England. This technology offers one of the biggest opportunities in today’s NHS, delivering pre - cise molecular information that is changing the management of diseases. It could also ultimately enable prevention of diseases. We look for ward to working with participants and funders to deliver the next phase of genomic medicine to the people of Scotland.”

Prof Andrew Biankin, Director of the WolfsonWohl Cancer Research Centre at the University of Glasgow and CoChair of the Scottish Genomes Partnership, said: “Genomic testing allows us to start predicting which therapies will work best for an i nd iv i dual cancer patient, improving outcomes whilst minimising side-effects and cost.