Latest Genome-wide association study Stories

Several genes affect tooth development in the first year of life, according to the findings of a study conducted at Imperial College London, the University of Bristol in the UK and the University of Oulu in Finland. The research, published February 26 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, shows that the teeth of babies with certain genetic variants tend to appear later and that these children have a lower number of teeth by age one. Additionally, those children whose teeth develop later...

Gene associated with atrial fibrillation in younger patients without known risk factorsAn international research team has identified a common gene variant associated with a form of the irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation. In their report in the journal Nature Genetics, being published online, the investigators describe finding that variations affecting a protein that may help control the heart's electrical activity appear to increase the risk of what is called lone atrial...

Researchers challenge prevailing assumptions in interpreting genome-wide studiesIn the decade since the Human Genome Project produced the first map of DNA sequences in the human genome, scientists throughout the world have combed through genome data to identify genes and gene variants that cause human disease. A new study suggests that researchers may need to broaden their search farther afield to pinpoint rare but powerful disease-causing mutations.Researchers from two large genome research...

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center say they are now convinced that rare genetic variants "“ as opposed to more common ones "“ lie at the heart of the genetic component of most common diseases.The finding appearing in PLoS Biology, stems from a series of simulation studies, and challenges common interpretations of a multitude of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that have identified thousands of single-DNA letter changes associated with greater risk of common diseases such...

Largest genome-wide association study of an infectious diseaseIn the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of leprosy and the largest GWAS on an infectious disease, scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and 26 institutes in China identified seven genes that increase an individual's susceptibility to leprosy.The discovery of these genes, reported in the 16 Dec. 2009 New England Journal of Medicine, highlights the important role of the innate immune response in the...

By measuring the total gene activity in organs relevant for coronary artery disease (CAD), scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have identified a module of genes that is important for the recruitment of white blood cells into the atherosclerotic plaque. The findings, which are to be published in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, suggest that targeting the migration of white blood cells in the development of atherosclerosis may help to reduce the risk for...

Genome Institute of Singapore researchers compiled map based on genome-wide variations of 6,000 samplesThe first genetic historical map of the Han Chinese, the largest ethnic population in the world, as they migrated from south to north over evolutionary time. was published online today by the American Journal of Human Genetics by scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS).Based on genome-wide DNA variation information in over 6,000 Han Chinese samples from 10 provinces in China,...

Typically conducted in richer, developed countries but now increasingly done in the developing world, genome wide association (GWA) studies raise a host of ethical issues that must be addressed, argues a Policy Forum article published this week in PLoS Medicine. Among the most pressing ethical issues is the release of data, says Michael Parker of the University of Oxford and his colleagues, who highlight the importance of developing policies and procedures for data release appropriate to GWA...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- 23andMe, Inc., an industry leader in personal genetics, conducted the genetic analysis of both former and current NFL players, as well as scientific controls, to investigate how genes impact athletic performance. Over 100 players were recruited for the study, the largest genetic examination ever conducted on professional American athletes. It was performed as a result of discussions with senior writer Shaun Assael of ESPN The Magazine and the...

Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 22 regions associated with blood cell traitsA new genome-wide association study published Oct. 11 in Nature Genetics begins to uncover the basis of genetic variations in eight blood measurements and the impact those variants can have on common human diseases. Blood measurements, including the number and volume of cells in the blood, are routinely used to diagnose a wide range of disorders, including anemia, infection and blood cell cancers.An international...