Flood of DNA

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted October 9, 2007 in DNA and Disease, DNA in General

Summer is over (in the Northern Hemisphere) but the DNA flood has only just begun. Robert Langreth and Matthew Herper of Forbes chronicles Genetics’ Super Summer and covers some of the biggest developments in genetics and genomics over the past few months: new genes, new genetic tests, the controversy over Myriad’s ads for BRACAnalysis, DNA/gene chips, whole genome sequencing, and phamacogenomics. Despite the excitement, not everyone believes the discoveries will lead to practical applications in the immediate future.

Dr. Leroy Hood, head of the Institute for Systems Biology:

I am very skeptical that genome-wide association studies will give us much of anything at all that will be useful for patients.

But of course he would say that because systems biology looks at the overall picture of how genes interact with each other and with the environment. For complex diseases, simply having information on a few genes is not enough to predict a person’s risk of disease without leaving a great deal of room for doubt.

Here are the Forbes 9 Gene Discoveries That Could Change Your Life:

1. FGFR2 for breast cancer
2. HLA-C for HIV and AIDS (also see HIV-Resistance Genes)
3. BTBD9 for restless legs syndrome
4. Variants on chromosomes 9, 6, and 2 for heart disease (also see NEJM Focus on Genomewide Scans)
5. Variants on chromosome 4 for atrial fibrillation
6. LOXL1 for glaucoma (also see Only One Gene for Exfoliative Glaucoma)
7. FLJ10986 for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou gehrig’s disease)
8. Human Leukocyte Antigen/Interleukin-2 receptor/Interleukin-7 receptor for multiple sclerosis
9. Traf1/C5 and PTPN22 for rheumatoid arthritis

Tags: genetics, genes, dna, diseases, illness, health, medicine, pharmacogenomics, systems biology

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4 Comments »

Pingback by Autism and Genetics and the Environment

2007-10-09 23:43:54

[...] “overall picture of how genes interact with each other and with the environment,” on Eye on DNA: For complex diseases, simply having information on a few genes is not enough to predict a [...]

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Comment by StevenMurphy MD

2007-10-10 19:35:52

I think we have to be careful by non-genetics trained persons telling us what will be great tests.
-Steve
http://thegenesherpa.blogspot.com/2007/06/forbes-and-genetics.html

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Comment by Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD

2007-10-10 19:44:28

I’m thinking the reporters checked with some “genetics trained persons” when they created that list.

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Comment by StevenMurphy MD

2007-10-10 19:48:12

Which Ones? And who do they work for?
-Steve

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