Key medical challenges, such as disease diagnosis, identification of the right treatments and improving the health of ageing populations will be tackled UK-wide by the official opening of the Phenome Centre Birmingham.
The £8 million facility, funded by the Medical Research Council, University of Birmingham and industry partners, will allow scientists at the University of Birmingham in collaboration with Birmingham health partners to conduct and translate to the clinic metabolic phenotyping studies that will look to:
- Understand molecular mechanisms associated with human ageing, and how diseases develop across the life course into old age
- Identify molecular targets for nutritional, exercise or drug interventions to fight diseases such as diabetes, cancer and arthritis
- Identify metabolic biomarkers that will help in the diagnosis of diseases, and understand how patients will respond to treatment
It becomes the third Phenome Centre to open globally, following the National Phenome Centre in London and the Singapore Phenome Centre. More centres are planned across the world, with a view to creating a network of facilities that will allow for significant advances in studies of metabolism in human health and disease, to benefit the UK and global population.
Thousands of samples of human blood, urine and tissue sample will be measured alongside extensive computational analyses, drawing on the regional strengths of Birmingham; a large and ethnically diverse population, the integrated research and translation available with the Birmingham Health Partners and a leading clinical trials unit.
Life Sciences Minister George Freeman MP said, ‘This world-leading centre will help enhance our understanding of diseases, and potentially allow NHS patients to have more targeted and personal treatment. It also confirms the West Midland’s status as a thriving medical sciences hub, which plays a vital role in supporting the UK’s £60 billion life sciences industry.’
