Aggregated News
Only five years ago scientists knew almost nothing about the genetic factors that influence common diseases.
Although major mutations that cause devastating but rare conditions such as cystic fibrosis had been identified, the inherited contribution to major causes of death and ill health such as diabetes and heart disease remained opaque.
That began to change with the advent of a new research tool called the genome-wide association study (GWAS). This involves comparing hundreds of thousands of DNA markers, in thousands of patients and healthy controls, and picking out those that are found more often in one group than the other.
The technique can detect common variants that affect risk and it initially proved fruitful, linking several hundred DNA variations to common diseases. But its successes have been tinged with disappointment, as the effects found have been modest.
Twin and family studies have already established the extent to which genetics influences a disease such as diabetes, and the common variants picked up by GWAS explain only 10 to 20 per cent of this.
This has led some scientists such as David...
Although major mutations that cause devastating but rare conditions such as cystic fibrosis had been identified, the inherited contribution to major causes of death and ill health such as diabetes and heart disease remained opaque.
That began to change with the advent of a new research tool called the genome-wide association study (GWAS). This involves comparing hundreds of thousands of DNA markers, in thousands of patients and healthy controls, and picking out those that are found more often in one group than the other.
The technique can detect common variants that affect risk and it initially proved fruitful, linking several hundred DNA variations to common diseases. But its successes have been tinged with disappointment, as the effects found have been modest.
Twin and family studies have already established the extent to which genetics influences a disease such as diabetes, and the common variants picked up by GWAS explain only 10 to 20 per cent of this.
This has led some scientists such as David...