Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Jackson Laboratory have established a new research affiliation aimed at identifying precision medicine treatment approaches for children with genetic orthopedic conditions, according to a Jan. 30 news release.
The nonprofit biomedical research institution will work with the Tampa, Fla.-based health system's genomics institute to research the causes of orthopedic conditions and disabilities, including scoliosis and clubfoot.
Per the agreement, Shriners Hospital will perform next-generation sequencing on DNA samples obtained from patients at its 22 hospitals and outpatient clinics as well as its international network of outreach clinics. The health system treats more than 100,000 patients annually, according to the news release.
Jackson Laboratory researchers will offer expertise on genomic data analysis, specialized algorithms and the microbiome. The laboratory will also create mouse models carrying the same genetic variations as patients with the rare pediatric diseases to assist with Shriners Hospital's research.