COM Faculty Spearhead National Initiative to Sequence Guinea Pig Genome
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COMOIACommunicationsNews2006 News ArchiveCOM Faculty Spearhead National Initiative to Sequence Guinea Pig Genome
"We are extremely excited by the opportunity to have the genome of the guinea pig sequenced because they represent one of the cornerstones of laboratory models for human diseases," Dr. Cirillo says. "Guinea pigs are a superior model to that of most animals because of their inherent similarity to humans in numerous physiological and immunological processes, which is why these animals have contributed to more than 10 Nobel prizes in medicine."
According to the proposal, c ompletion of the guinea pig genome will contribute to improving human health as well as our understanding of genome evolution. Completion of this genome will also greatly contribute to annotation of the human genome, and facilitate research in immunology, infectious diseases, biodefense, pathology, neuroscience, reproduction, hearing, development and cancer.
In addition to the proposal, Drs. Cirillo and McMurray included letters from accomplished scientists in public and private research who support the establishment of the guinea pig genome.
"Sequencing the guinea pig genome will have a huge impact on research throughout the world toward understanding artherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, tuberculosis, allergies and asthma, just to name a few of the diseases that the common guinea pig are used for," Dr. Cirillo says. "Few other organisms can and have contribute as much to improving medicine and health in humans, other than sequencing the human genome itself."
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) was established in 1989 to carry out the role of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the International Human Genome Project (HGP). The HGP was developed in collaboration with the United States Department of Energy and began to map the human genome in 1990. In 1997, the United States Department of Health and Human Services elevating the NHGRI to the status of research institute - one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the NIH.
