2009 Scientific Report

Van Andel Research Institute | Scientific Report
Research Interests
Molecular biomarkers are widely expected to revolutionize the current trial-and-error practice of medicine by enabling a
more predictive discipline in which therapies are targeted toward the molecular constitution of individual patients and their
disease. This concept is often termed “personalized medicine”. Biomarkers are being widely evaluated for their ability to
assess disease risk, detect and monitor disease over time, accurately identify disease stage, approximate prognosis, and
predict optimal targeted treatments. The Program for Translational Medicine was launched in 2006 to extend the Institute’s
translational research capabilities, with a focus on the development of molecular biomarker strategies with clinical implications.
The program’s activities have focused on building the critical translational infrastructure and technologies, fostering clinical and
industrial partnerships, and coordinating the multidisciplinary project teams required to implement molecular-based approaches
in medicine. The Program of Translational Medicine, with its multidisciplinary partners, strives to create an efficient pipeline
between the clinic and the research laboratory for efficient discovery and clinical application of novel biomarker strategies. We
also work to increase the readiness of the community to implement advances in molecular medicine, benefiting human health
and promoting West Michigan as a leader in biomarker research.
Translational informatics
To accelerate the implementation of personalized medicine, the consolidation and real-time analysis of standardized molecular
and clinical/preclinical data is critical. Thus, much of our effort over the past several years has focused on the development of
an integrated informatics solution known as the XenoBase BioIntegration Suite (XB-BIS; see http://xbtransmed.com). XB-BIS
supports essential features of data management, data analysis, knowledge management, and reporting within an integrated
framework, enabling the efficient exchange of information between the basic research laboratory and the clinic. XB-BIS has
recently been licensed to industrial and academic partners with an interest in biomarker research and the development of
molecular-based diagnostics; these include Children’s Memorial Medical Center, Qiagen, and Sequenom.
Community partnerships and economic development
Productive partnerships are pivotal to our efforts in biomarker research and personalized medicine. In the Center for Molecular
Medicine, the Van Andel Institute and Spectrum Health Hospitals created a CLIA-certified/CAP-accredited clinical diagnostics
laboratory for biomarker qualification and the development of associated diagnostic assays. This entity was recently acquired
by Sequenom, but it continues to offer cutting-edge molecular diagnostic tests and remains central to our personalized
medicine initiatives. For example, ongoing research activities with Sequenom are geared toward implementation of novel,
molecular-based technologies into our personalized medicine initiative.
ClinXus (http://www.clinxus.org) was developed to coordinate the emerging West Michigan translational research enterprise.
In September 2006, ClinXus was awarded a Michigan 21st Century Jobs Fund grant to support early-stage development and
operations, and it has membership in the Predictive Safety and Testing Consortium (PSTC) of the Critical Path Institute. The
PSTC brings pharmaceutical companies together to share and validate each other’s safety testing methods under advisement
of the FDA and the European Medicines Agency. Membership in this consortium will help ensure that West Michigan remains
at the forefront of biomarker research and development and will further the community’s rapidly emerging life sciences and
health care industry.
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