Virtual physiological human project to transform healthcare
An institute founded one year ago at the University of Sheffield is showcasing the first phase of technology that is claimed will lead to the creation of a virtual human body and revolutionise global healthcare.
The Insigneo Institute has the objective of creating an in silico (computer simulated) replica of the human body to enable the virtual testing of bespoke treatments. When complete, it is anticipated that the virtual physiological human will transform the economics and practicalities of modern medical treatment and medical research.
The virtual physiological human (VPH) programme is backed by European Commission funding. Since 2007, approaching €220 million (£180.5 million) of EC funding has been targeted at collaborative in silico projects across Europe.
The VPH is intended to enable collaborative investigation of the human body as a single complex system using integrated computer models of the mechanical, physical and biochemical functions of a living human body. The VPH is forecast to eventually lead to a better healthcare system, offering personalised care solutions, a more holistic approach to medicine and a preventative approach to treatment of disease. In time, it should lead to treatment that sees the body as a single multi organ system rather than as a collection of individual organs.
The showcase, which takes place in Sheffield on 8 May, will feature a series of talks and demonstrations that chart progress to date, including:
• a presentation on imaging and computational modelling of pulmonary disease
• a look at the emerging potential of the 21st century laboratory
• a presentation on VIRTUheart, which will transform the assessment and management of coronary artery disease
• a presentation on how the VPH will improve the prediction of fracture risk
• a presentation on virtual, physiological and computational neuromuscular models for the predictive treatment of Parkinson’s Disease.
Here is a short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9r7oRY3BSs.
“What we’re working on here will be vital to the future of healthcare,” said Dr. Keith McCormack, who leads business development at the institute. “Pressures are mounting on health and treatment resources worldwide. Candidly, without in silico medicine, organisations like the NHS will be unable to cope with demand. The VPH will act as a software-based laboratory for experimentation and treatment that will save huge amounts of time and money and lead to vastly superior treatment outcomes.”
The Insigneo Institute for in silico medicine is a collaborative initiative between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It is a multi-disciplinary institute with a membership of more than 120 academics and clinicians who are collaborating to develop computer simulations of the human body and its disease processes. These will be amalgamated eventually to create a holistic in silico model that will be used directly in clinical practice to improve diagnosis and treatment. When complete, the virtual human is anticipated to be the most sophisticated application of computing technology in healthcare. Sheffield is the UK’s main centre for this work.
Insigneo Institute, http://insigneo.org.