Cancer patients in the UK are set to have their genes systematically mapped as part of the drive to fine-tune treatments, it was announced yesterday.
The government set out an aim of getting genetic information from up to 100,000 patients with cancer and a range of rare diseases within three years.
Scientists say the project will help create a sea-change in the search for "personalised medicine", in which treatments are tailored to achieve the most effect based on patients’ genetic profiles.
Some £100 million will help training and create the systems within the NHS to capture the information.
The government says no patient will be required to help with the project and can refuse to have their genes sequenced.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said: "Understanding and harnessing genetic information offers huge potential to target effective treatments and develop new treatments and cures.
"This funding opens up the possibility of being able to look at the three billion DNA pieces in each of us so we can get a greater understanding of the complex relationship between our genes and lifestyle."
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “If we get this right, we could transform how we diagnose and treat our most complex diseases not only here but across the world, while enabling our best scientists to discover the next wonder drug or breakthrough technology.”
The Medical Research Council pledged some £10 million towards a related project, developing "stratified medicine" for three conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis C and Gaucher disease.
An MRC spokesman said: "Stratified medicine is a completely new approach to scientific research and medical care. It groups patients into strata based on differences in the way they experience a particular disease and how that affects their response to treatment.
"Before this can happen, groups of patients must be studied to understand what it is about their genetic and physical make-up that determines these differences."
The project was welcomed by Cancer Research UK.
Chief executive Dr Harpal Kumar said: "This work will uncover a wealth of new information which doctors and scientists will use to learn more about the biology of the disease and to develop new ways to prevent, diagnose and effectively treat cancer.
“We‘re very excited about personalised medicine – some targeted treatments are already helping to treat patients more effectively – and we’re working hard – with many others – to develop new treatments, and to ensure the NHS can effectively deliver a more personalised cancer treatment service."
There was also backing for the project in a report released by the European Medical Research Councils yesterday.
This set out recommendations including the need for government backing.
Councils chair Professor Liselotte Højgaard said: “We hope that the recommendations in our report will now be taken up by stakeholders throughout Europe to ensure the successful introduction and sustainable implementation of personalised medicine."
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