The National Research Council panel has called for the formation of what could be termed the "Google Maps of human disease," says ScienceInsider's Jocelyn Kaiser. The panel, formed last year at NIH's request to reform the current system of disease classification, says there is a need for a large data network that combines the latest genomic and molecular data on diseases with patients' medical records, Kaiser says. Such a database would be useful in turning patient care into "precision medicine," the panel says.
"This system would be used to develop a new disease taxonomy and personalize medical care," Kaiser adds. The panel recommended a pilot project that would involve sequencing the whole genomes of one million Americans and combining that data with their medical histories to look for links to disease.