N.C. Task Force on Genomics and Public Health releases state genomics plan to help policymakers
June 16, 2004
CHAPEL HILL — The N.C. Task Force on Genomics and Public Health, representing more than 30 public and private organizations and institutions, has issued a report to help guide state policymakers on the impact of genomics in North Carolinians’ lives.The 27-page N.C. Public Health Genomics Plan is the product of an 18-month effort. The task force included University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty members from the School of Medicine’s Division of Genetics and Metabolism, the Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences’ department of biology and the N.C. Center for Genomics and Public Health, housed in the UNC School of Public Health’s N.C. Institute for Public Health.The Office of Genomics, in the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health, organized the state plan.
“Several states already have genomics plans, but North Carolina’s is more comprehensive,” said Dr. Bob Millikan, associate professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health and director of the N.C. Center for Genomics and Public Health. “The plan builds on the wonderful foundation provided by the state’s Newborn Screening Program, probably the best in the country.”
The collaboration among government, industry, academia and the public was key to the report, he added. The task force will continue to monitor emerging genomic technologies, provide education and training to the public and health-care professionals, and advocate for policies that consider ethical, legal, social and economic implications.
“The task force was so enthusiastic about these partnerships that members decided to continue even after the plan was written,” Millikan said. “That says a lot about the importance of genomics to public health and the willingness of people to work together on this issue. One of the things we are going to focus on is helping people deal with misinformation, hype and commercialization surrounding genetic testing.”
The potential of genomics to improve health care, particularly for common chronic and infectious diseases, is exciting, said Donna Spoon, director of the Office of Genomics.
“As researchers learn more about the way genes contribute to certain types of cancers and heart disease, health professionals will increasingly incorporate this new information into their care and treatment practice,” she said. “Medicine will see an increase in the use of family histories and genetic tests to assess each individual’s risk, allowing more accurate and earlier diagnosis and individualized prevention plans for patients.”
In the near future, genetic information offers the potential to develop new medications and to customize therapy to an individual’s genetic makeup, Millikan said.
One of genomics’ most important applications is to identify people predisposed to having adverse side effects from taking particular drugs, and genomics also may be used in the areas of food safety, toxicology and biodefense, he added.
Lauren Dame, the task force’s inaugural chair, led the development and publication of the state plan. Dame is associate director of the Center for Genome Ethics, Law and Policy at Duke University. The current chair of the task force is Dr. Greg Gibson, a geneticist from N.C. State University. In addition to UNC, Duke and N.C. State, the task force includes faculty representation from East Carolina University, N.C. Central University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Wake Forest University and Western Carolina University.
Note: Copies of the plan may be obtained from Spoon at (919) 715-3154 or donna.spoon@ncmail.net.
N.C. Institute for Public Health contact: Bev Holt, (919) 966-6274 or bev_holt@unc.edu”
For further information please contact Emily Smith either by phone at 919-966-8498 or by email at emilysmith@unc.edu
