Funding of £3m for medicine imaging centre in Glasgow

The centre will contribute to work to develop medicines which can be tailor-made for patients

A high-tech new imaging centre that could help with the development of personalised medicines has been awarded Scottish government funding.

Health Secretary Alex Neil has announced £3m for the initiative.

It will be part of the £15.3m Glasgow University clinical research facility on the new South Glasgow Hospital site.

Personalised medicine involves the creation of treatments that have been specially tailored for the patients, based on their genetic make-up.

The funding should mean that a state-of-the-art research imaging suite is in place when the new hospital opens in 2015.

Advanced equipment at the imaging centre should help medics predict which treatments will be most efficient and effective for patients.

Mr Neil said: "Personalised medicine holds huge potential in the development of new treatments for diseases such as cancer.

"It is one of the most significant advances in 21st Century health research as it looks to move away from the one-treatment-fits-all approach to one where a patient's specific genetic make-up determines the most appropriate treatment."

He added: "This imaging centre will ensure that Glasgow continues to be at the forefront of research - allowing them to use new technology that offers a glimpse of the future of personalised medicine."

Prof Anna Dominiczak, vice-principal and head of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow said the development of this type of medicine would "be critical to the long-term ability of healthcare systems around the world to meet the growing challenges of an ageing population and advanced treatment options".

She added: "Above all, it will benefit patients. Here in Scotland we are uniquely placed to be pioneers in this field and the new South Glasgow Hospitals Campus provides an unrivalled opportunity to promote collaborative stratified medicine across Scotland, the UK and beyond."