The George Washington University Medical Center

Participation in PMC

Our membership in the Personalized Medicine Coalition is represented by three entities within The George Washington University.   Established in 2006, the mission of The Cheney Cardiovascular Institute is to promote clinical research, education, patient care and community service with goals to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, reduce mortality and improve the quality of life of Americans with cardiovascular disease.

The Center for Health Services Research and Policy, founded in 1990, is dedicated to providing policymakers, public health officials, health care administrators and advocates with the information and ideas they need to improve access to quality, affordable health care.

The McCormick Genomics Center, a premier genomics research center for the study of the genomics of human disease, coordinates gene-based research, education, diagnosis and therapeutic guidance. The mission of the McCormick Genomics Center is to promote research, education, and clinical practice in genomics and pharmacogenomics.

Clinical Research in Personalized Medicine

Just two examples of our research underway include a study which attempts to identify the gene or genes that regulate the action of aspirin, a key cardio-protective medicine.  About 20 to 25 percent of the population are resistant to aspirin and these individuals may be at increased risk for a heart attack and stent thrombosis.  Our goal is to identify genomic markers of aspirin resistance so as to personalize the prevention regime for patients with coronary artery disease.

A second study focuses on the genomics of cancer chemotherapy cardiotoxicity.  Both antracyclines and Herceptin, common drugs for breast cancer treatment, cause heart failure in 1 to 4 percent of patients using either drug alone and up to 28 percent when given together.  Since only a subset of patients are at risk for drug induced cardiac dysfunction, we are searching for a genomic marker that will identify which patients are susceptible to this toxicity.  Finding that marker will allow individualized cancer therapy with reduced complications.