Translation of genomics research to clinical medicine

Background The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is firmly committed to advancing translational research, especially in the field of genomics. An evaluation of the NHLBI's extramural research grants funded in FY2008 and FY2011 was conducted to establish a baseline from which to assess progress in translational research, to assess current commitments and initial progress, and to identify putative gaps, barriers, and opportunities in the Institute's human genomics research portfolios.

Methods and Results The NIH Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization (RCDC) system Category of Genetics was utilized to identify human genomics research project grants composing NHLBI's genomics research portfolio. The NHLBI genomics portfolios were evaluated using a multidisciplinary research framework continuum that comprises five categories or phases (T0-T4). The abstracts for the grants were evaluated independently by two reviewers with an adjudicator for discrepancies in coding. The distribution of research grants showed no change in T0 and T1 coded research. The majority of the grants can be classified as T1 research.

Conclusions It was determined that in 2011 NHLBI was funding grants culminating in T1 translational research with little change from 2008. The Institute has developed initiatives to promote bench-to-bedside translation in genomics research, including programs for cardiovascular diseases. NHLBI is evaluating what additional steps could be taken to support programs, along with technological advances in areas such as functional genomics, that will help advance the NHLBI genomics research portfolio from the T0-T1 translational research categories to the T2/T3 categories.