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Genetics and Genomics Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Genetics and Genomics

Ocular Gene Transfer In The Spotlight: Implications Of Newspaper Content For Clinical Communications, Shelly Benjaminy, Tania M. Bubela Jul 2024

Ocular Gene Transfer In The Spotlight: Implications Of Newspaper Content For Clinical Communications, Shelly Benjaminy, Tania M. Bubela

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Background: Ocular gene transfer clinical trials are raising hopes for blindness treatments and attracting media attention. News media provide an accessible health information source for patients and the public, but are often criticized for overemphasizing benefits and underplaying risks of novel biomedical interventions. Overly optimistic portrayals of unproven interventions may influence public and patient expectations; the latter may cause patients to downplay risks and over-emphasize benefits, with implications for informed consent for clinical trials. We analyze the news media communications landscape about ocular gene transfer and make recommendations for improving communications between clinicians and potential trial participants in light of …


Temporal Trends In Lipoprotein(A) Concentrations: The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Matthew R. Deshotels, Caroline Sun, Vijay Nambi, Salim S. Virani, Kunihiro Matsushita, Bing Yu, Christie . M. Ballantyne, Ron C. Hoogeveen Nov 2022

Temporal Trends In Lipoprotein(A) Concentrations: The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Matthew R. Deshotels, Caroline Sun, Vijay Nambi, Salim S. Virani, Kunihiro Matsushita, Bing Yu, Christie . M. Ballantyne, Ron C. Hoogeveen

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Background: Plasma lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) concentrations are primarily determined by genetic factors and are believed to remain stable throughout life. However, data are scarce on longitudinal trends in Lp(a) concentrations over time. Therefore, it is unclear whether measurement of Lp(a) once in a person's life is sufficient for cardiovascular risk assessment in all adults.
Methods and Results: Lp(a) concentrations, specifically apolipoprotein(a) concentrations, were measured at visits 4 and 5, ≈15 years apart, in 4734 adult participants of the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study (mean age at visits 4 and 5, 60.7±5.1 and 75.5±5.2 years, respectively). Participants were categorized by baseline …


The Impact Of Heterogeneity In A Global Knowledge Commons: Implications For Governance Of The Dna Barcode Commons, Janis Geary, Trish Reay, Tania M. Bubela Oct 2019

The Impact Of Heterogeneity In A Global Knowledge Commons: Implications For Governance Of The Dna Barcode Commons, Janis Geary, Trish Reay, Tania M. Bubela

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The extent of actor heterogeneity is known to influence the outcomes in natural resource commons, and scholars have recently begun addressed the impact of heterogeneity on knowledge commons creation and sustainability. There is increasing evidence to challenge the dominant theory that heterogeneity is uniformly disadvantageous, but little is known about heterogeneity in knowledge commons. Here, we analyse heterogeneity as it applies to rules for governing a knowledge commons – the DNA barcode commons. DNA barcodes are short, standardized gene regions that can be used to inexpensively identify unknown specimens, and proponents have led international efforts to make DNA barcodes a …


Participant Perspectives On A Phase I/Ii Ocular Gene Therapy Trial (Nct02077361), Stephanie P. Brooks, Shelly Benjaminy, Tania M. Bubela Jun 2019

Participant Perspectives On A Phase I/Ii Ocular Gene Therapy Trial (Nct02077361), Stephanie P. Brooks, Shelly Benjaminy, Tania M. Bubela

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Background: To learn from the experiences of potential clinical trial participants, participants in a Phase 1 ocular gene therapy trial, and their partners to improve communications and trial conduct.
Materials and methods: Primary and secondary qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews of potential participants (n = 20), clinical trial participants (n = 2) and their partners (n = 2) in a gene therapy clinical trial for choroideremia (NCT02077361). Analysis included: 1) thematic analysis of transcribed entrance and exit semi-structured interviews with trial participants and their partners; and 2) secondary qualitative analysis of interviews with potential trial participants, …


Recommendations For Regulating The Environmental Risk Of Shedding For Gene Therapy And Oncolytic Viruses In Canada, Tania M. Bubela, Ron Boch, Sowmya Viswanathan Mar 2019

Recommendations For Regulating The Environmental Risk Of Shedding For Gene Therapy And Oncolytic Viruses In Canada, Tania M. Bubela, Ron Boch, Sowmya Viswanathan

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Canadian academic and industry stakeholders are concerned about the inclusion of "virus-like particles or sub-viral particles" in the definition of New Substances Notification Regulations for Organisms (NSNR(O)) which impacts clinical cell and gene therapy and commercialization. The requirement of an independent 120 days Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) review preceding a Health Canada review on quality and environmental concerns places an additional burden on Sponsors submitting clinical trial applications (CTA) and/or New Drug Submissions (NDS). A workshop initiated by CellCAN and BIOTECanada with participants from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and …


Provenance And Risk In Transfer Of Biological Materials, Jane Nielsen, Tania M. Bubela, Don R C. Chalmers, Amber Johns, Linda Kahl, Joanne Kamens, Charles Lawson, John Liddicoat, Rebekah Mcwhirter, Ann Monott Aug 2018

Provenance And Risk In Transfer Of Biological Materials, Jane Nielsen, Tania M. Bubela, Don R C. Chalmers, Amber Johns, Linda Kahl, Joanne Kamens, Charles Lawson, John Liddicoat, Rebekah Mcwhirter, Ann Monott

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Whereas biological materials were once transferred freely, there has been a marked shift in the formalisation of exchanges involving these materials, primarily through the use of Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs). This paper considers how risk aversion dominates MTA negotiations and the impact it may have on scientific progress. Risk aversion is often based on unwarranted fears of incurring liability through the use of a material or loss of control or missing out on commercialisation opportunities. Evidence to date has suggested that complexity tends to permeate even straightforward transactions despite extensive efforts to implement simple, standard MTAs. We argue that in …


Reproducibility And Reuse Of Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire Data, Felix Breden, Eline T. Luning Prak, Bjoern Peters, Florian Rubelt, Chaim A. Schramm, Christian E. Busse, Jason A. Vander Heiden, Scott Christley, Syed Ahmad Chan Bukhari, Adrian Thorogood, Tania M. Bubela Nov 2017

Reproducibility And Reuse Of Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire Data, Felix Breden, Eline T. Luning Prak, Bjoern Peters, Florian Rubelt, Chaim A. Schramm, Christian E. Busse, Jason A. Vander Heiden, Scott Christley, Syed Ahmad Chan Bukhari, Adrian Thorogood, Tania M. Bubela

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High-throughput sequencing (HTS) of immunoglobulin (B-cell receptor, antibody) and T-cell receptor repertoires has increased dramatically since the technique was introduced in 2009 (1-3). This experimental approach explores the maturation of the adaptive immune system and its response to antigens, pathogens, and disease conditions in exquisite detail. It holds significant promise for diagnostic and therapy-guiding applications. New technology often spreads rapidly, sometimes more rapidly than the understanding of how to make the products of that technology reliable, reproducible, or usable by others. As complex technologies have developed, scientific communities have come together to adopt common standards, protocols, and policies for generating …


Key Challenges In Bringing Crispr-Mediated Somatic Cell Therapy Into The Clinic, Dianne Nicol, Lisa Eckstein, Michael Morrison, Jacob S. Sherkow, Margaret Otlowski, Tess Whitton, Tania M. Bubela, Kathryn P. Burdon, Don Chalmers, Sarah Chan Sep 2017

Key Challenges In Bringing Crispr-Mediated Somatic Cell Therapy Into The Clinic, Dianne Nicol, Lisa Eckstein, Michael Morrison, Jacob S. Sherkow, Margaret Otlowski, Tess Whitton, Tania M. Bubela, Kathryn P. Burdon, Don Chalmers, Sarah Chan

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Genome editing using clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated proteins offers the potential to facilitate safe and effective treatment of genetic diseases refractory to other types of intervention. Here, we identify some of the major challenges for clinicians, regulators, and human research ethics committees in the clinical translation of CRISPR-mediated somatic cell therapy.


Creating A Data Resource: What Will It Take To Build A Medical Information Commons?, Patricia A. Deverka, Mary A. Majumder, Angela G. Villanueva, Margaret Anderson, Annette C. Bakker, Jessica Bardill, Eric Boerwinkle, Tania M. Bubela, Barbara J. Evans, Nanibaa' A. Garrison Sep 2017

Creating A Data Resource: What Will It Take To Build A Medical Information Commons?, Patricia A. Deverka, Mary A. Majumder, Angela G. Villanueva, Margaret Anderson, Annette C. Bakker, Jessica Bardill, Eric Boerwinkle, Tania M. Bubela, Barbara J. Evans, Nanibaa' A. Garrison

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National and international public-private partnerships, consortia, and government initiatives are underway to collect and share genomic, personal, and healthcare data on a massive scale. Ideally, these efforts will contribute to the creation of a medical information commons (MIC), a comprehensive data resource that is widely available for both research and clinical uses. Stakeholder participation is essential in clarifying goals, deepening understanding of areas of complexity, and addressing long-standing policy concerns such as privacy and security and data ownership. This article describes eight core principles proposed by a diverse group of expert stakeholders to guide the formation of a successful, sustainable …


More Haste, Less Speed: Could Public-Private Partnerships Advance Cellular Immunotherapies?, Tania M. Bubela, Katherine Bonter, Silvy Lachance, Jean-Sébastien Delisle, E Richard Gol Aug 2017

More Haste, Less Speed: Could Public-Private Partnerships Advance Cellular Immunotherapies?, Tania M. Bubela, Katherine Bonter, Silvy Lachance, Jean-Sébastien Delisle, E Richard Gol

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Cellular immunotherapies promise to transform cancer care. However, they must overcome serious challenges, including: (1) the need to identify and characterize novel cancer antigens to expand the range of therapeutic targets; (2) the need to develop strategies to minimize serious adverse events, such as cytokine release syndrome and treatment-related toxicities; and (3) the need to develop efficient production/manufacturing processes to reduce costs. Here, we discuss whether these challenges might better be addressed through forms of public-private research collaborations, including public-private partnerships (PPPs), or whether these challenges are best addressed by way of standard market transactions. We reviewed 14 public-private relationships …


Use And Misuse Of Material Transfer Agreements: Lessons In Proportionality From Research, Repositories, And Litigation, Tania M. Bubela, Jenilee Guebert, Amrita Mishra Feb 2015

Use And Misuse Of Material Transfer Agreements: Lessons In Proportionality From Research, Repositories, And Litigation, Tania M. Bubela, Jenilee Guebert, Amrita Mishra

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Material transfer agreements exist to facilitate the exchange of materials and associated data between researchers as well as to protect the interests of the researchers and their institutions. But this dual mandate can be a source of frustration for researchers, creating administrative burdens and slowing down collaborations. We argue here that in most cases in pre-competitive research, a simple agreement would suffice; the more complex agreements and mechanisms for their negotiation should be reserved for cases where the risks posed to the institution and the potential commercial value of the research reagents is high.


Reflections On The Cost Of "Low-Cost" Whole Genome Sequencing: Framing The Health Policy Debate, Timothy Caulfield, Jim Evans, Amy Mcguire, Christopher Mccabe, Tania M. Bubela, Robert Cook-Deegan, Jennifer Fishman, Stuart Hogarth, Fiona A. Miller, Vardit Ravitsky Nov 2013

Reflections On The Cost Of "Low-Cost" Whole Genome Sequencing: Framing The Health Policy Debate, Timothy Caulfield, Jim Evans, Amy Mcguire, Christopher Mccabe, Tania M. Bubela, Robert Cook-Deegan, Jennifer Fishman, Stuart Hogarth, Fiona A. Miller, Vardit Ravitsky

Office of the Provost

The cost of whole genome sequencing is dropping rapidly. There has been a great deal of enthusiasm about the potential for this technological advance to transform clinical care. Given the interest and significant investment in genomics, this seems an ideal time to consider what the evidence tells us about potential benefits and harms, particularly in the context of health care policy. The scale and pace of adoption of this powerful new technology should be driven by clinical need, clinical evidence, and a commitment to put patients at the centre of health care policy.


Is Belief Larger Than Fact: Expectations, Optimism And Reality For Translational Stem Cell Research, Tania M. Bubela, Matthew D. Li, Mohamed Hafez, Mark Bieber, Harold Atkins Nov 2012

Is Belief Larger Than Fact: Expectations, Optimism And Reality For Translational Stem Cell Research, Tania M. Bubela, Matthew D. Li, Mohamed Hafez, Mark Bieber, Harold Atkins

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Background: Stem cell (SC) therapies hold remarkable promise for many diseases, but there is a significant gulf between public expectations and the reality of progress toward clinical application. Public expectations are fueled by stakeholder arguments for research and public funding, coupled with intense media coverage in an ethically charged arena. We examine media representations in light of the expanding global landscape of SC clinical trials, asking what patients may realistically expect by way of timelines for the therapeutic and curative potential of regenerative medicine?
Methods: We built 2 international datasets: (1) 3,404 clinical trials (CT) containing 'stem cell*' from ClinicalTrials.gov …