Projects translating genetic insights for specific medical uses are pushing to put personalized care into practice.
The projects are all funded by Genome British Columbia, which facilitates the integration of genomics into society.
Two projects aim to improve access to personalized medicine via off-the-shelf pharmacogenetic testing and genetically informed nutrition planning.
A third project is developing testing to predict which treatments will work best for people fighting certain blood cancers.
“We see a lot of research advancements in our funded projects, but true positive impact comes from genomic technologies being made available to the people who need it,” stated Sally Greenwood, who functions as Chief Operating Officer at Genome BC.
Pharmacogenetic testing assesses the safety and effectiveness of medication for individuals based on their genome, an evidence-based approach which can prevent adverse drug reactions.
But the well-established medical tool but remains costly; commercial tests can range between $200 and $2,000.
Dr. Bruce Carleton of the University of British Columbia has partnered with Bob Mehr from Pure Integrative Pharmacies to advance low-cost PGx test kits intended to be available off-the-shelf for specific patient needs.
“We also hope to sell kits for as low as $40,” Carleton says.
Meanwhile, a project led by UBC’s Dr. James Johnson and Sean McKelvey of the Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition aims to identify the genes that control insulin production in response to the three fundamental macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Insulin production is affected differently by each macronutrient and by each individual body.
Johnson’s team hopes their findings will contribute to better-informed nutrition guidance and personalized genetic testing.
The third project targets myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia, both of which are aggressive blood cancers with low survival rates, and combined are diagnosed in more than 7,500 people in Canada each year.
Hypomethylating agent therapies use drugs to alter DNA. However, over half of patients do not respond to hypomethylating therapy and there is currently no way to determine how someone will respond to this treatment.
Dr. Aly Karsan of Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer is performing advanced DNA methylation sequencing of cancer patient samples to determine if chemical markers on DNA can predict their response to hypomethylating therapy.
In July, Genome British Columbia confirmed support for three research projects aimed at developing technology-forward tools to help farmers protect the region’s fruit and vegetable crops.
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Research Funding Targets Potential of DNA to Lower Healthcare Barriers in BC was first posted on August 20, 2026 at 5:00 am.
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