The Medical Research Council (MRC), in collaboration with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has provided £28.5 million in funding to establish the Human Functional Genomics Initiative programme.
It aims to advance our understanding of how genomic variation influences human physiology and how it changes over time and in disease.
The funding supports four research clusters that will focus on technology development and research into genomic variation in a range of disease areas.
Professor Dominic Furniss at NDORMS will lead a cluster Harnessing the interplay of genetics, cells and matrix to deliver insights into musculoskeletal health and new therapies in musculoskeletal disease. Together with his team he will use a variety of functional genomics techniques to:
- boost our understanding of musculoskeletal health and disease
- generate therapeutic targets for future studies
- provide tools and training for the wider community
‘We are delighted to have been awarded this funding from UKRI to investigate four common musculoskeletal diseases – osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, frozen shoulder, and Dupuytren’s disease. The Cluster comprises academics in Oxford, Manchester, Lund, and the USA, as well as local and international industry partners,' said Dominic.
'Our work will be rooted in the genetic underpinnings of these diseases, and we will focus on developing new drugs that affect these genetic pathways. A key part of our work is testing the mechanisms of action of genetic variants in human tissues that are resected as a routine part of surgical care. The close integration between NDORMS and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre makes the use of waste human tissue possible. Using this approach, we hope to make rapid strides in understanding the biology of these diseases, and accelerate progress towards clinical trials of drugs to modify disease progression.’
The other clusters are:
- The Edinburgh molecular mechanisms cluster
- Human functional genomics of post-translationally modifying clinical coding variants: FGx-PTMv
- Functional genomics of human brain development cluster
The new initiative is being led by Professor Jonathan Mill from the University of Exeter Medical School who has been appointed as Director. Commenting on the initiative he said: ‘It will facilitate innovation and collaboration among multidisciplinary teams, and accelerate the translation of functional genomic research into tangible benefits for health and well-being.’
Funding for the initiative comes is made up of £4.6 million Director’s award from the UKRI, £7 million from the Medical Research Council (MRC), and £16.9 million from MRC and BBSRC.
Read the full story here: https://www.ukri.org/news/28-5m-in-funding-for-human-functional-genomics-initiative/