The conference programme focused primarily on evaluating the progress achieved in this field over the past decade, presenting the main successes of the SRIA strategy, and sharing examples of international collaboration.
The panel discussions also addressed the implementation of personalised medicine into clinical practice, the possibilities for using health data, and the related ethical and legal issues. There was also a debate on further developments and the steps needed to integrate personalised medicine into healthcare systems.
The Czech Republic was represented at the conference by Ondrej Slaby, Head of the Center for Precision Medicine at the University Hospital Brno, Head of the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University, and Chair of the Czech Health Research Council, and by Pavel Dolecek, a member of the Board of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. In their opening remarks and the subsequent panel discussion, they offered a Czech perspective on the development of science and research, particularly in the field of personalised medicine.
After the Prague conference concluded, a delegation comprising representatives of international precision medicine centres, EP/IC PerMed and the European Commission visited the Center for the Precision Medicine at the University Hospital Brno. During the two-day visit, the aim of the center, its programmes and further strategic plans were presented. The close cooperation with the MU Faculty of Medicine, the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC MU) and the CREATIC Centre of Excellence was also highlighted.
The programme of in-situ visit also included presentations of selected research activities. Jaroslav Sterba, Head of the Department of Paediatric Oncology at the MU Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Brno and Scientific Director of the National Institute for Cancer Research, presented the personalised medicine programme for paediatric oncology patients. Regina Demlova, Director of the CREATIC Centre of Excellence at the MU Faculty of Medicine, outlined the connection between research and patient care, providing information on CREATIC, its mission, programmes and the clinical environment focused on personalised therapies. Ales Hampl, Head of the Department of Histology and Embryology at the MU Faculty of Medicine, then presented the research programme in the field of tissue engineering.
In Brno, the international attendees shared their experiences and examples of good practice, and discussed current topics that may support further international collaboration and the development of personalised medicine. To conclude the visit, participants toured the laboratory facilities at the Department of Pathology of the University Hospital Brno and at CEITEC MU, where the two-day meeting took place.
We would like to thank everyone for the open and inspiring discussion. We are pleased to be part of this joint effort and look forward to further collaboration!
