But, as genome-wide
association studies continue to reveal, most conditions are more complex, arising from dozens or hundreds of genetic mutations working together to cause disease.
This volume describes conducting, analyzing, and interpreting genetic
association studies, with information on molecular, population, and medical genetics, as well as epidemiology and statistics.
1) To perform genome wide
association studies to identify regions associated with relevant health traits;
The researchers explored the genetics of late-onset Alzheimer's disease by performing a three-stage analysis of data accrued in several genome-wide
association studies involving more than 35,000 subjects (JAMA 2010;303:1832-40).
No single gene within the RAAS appears to predominate in the
association studies and there appears to be an increasing complexity and sophistication in
association studies involving RAAS.
Genome-wide
association studies, or GWAS, analyze DNA across populations to pinpoint hard-to-find genetic hotspots for common diseases that are thought to have many causes, both genetic and environmental.
This "enviromics" approach, which mirrors genome-wide
association studies, harnesses high-speed computers and publicly accessible databases.
The research, published online in Nature, drew on previous genome-wide
association studies that linked a non-coding stretch of chromosome 9p21 with coronary artery disease (CAD) and showed that people who carry certain single nucleotide mutations in this stretch of DNA have an increased chance of developing the disease.
Population structure can impact the most carefully designed studies and needs to be assessed to make reliable conclusions in
association studies (6-8).
In the past two years alone, genome-wide
association studies have found about 100 new genetic variants linked to 40 common diseases, including type II diabetes, prostate cancer and heart disease.
The consortium (funded by the NHLBI, NIEHS, NCI, NHGRI, and NIGMS) brings together expertise in genetics, epidemiology, biostatistics, and bioinformatics to develop and test innovative, informative, and cost-effective study designs and analytical strategies for performing genome-wide
association studies on complex diseases.
The private-public Genetic Association Information Network (GAIN) will accelerate genome
association studies.
