Research: Largest ever study of genetics of common diseases published7 June 2007 |
The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium, the largest ever study of the genetics behind common diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and coronary heart disease, has published its results in the journals Nature and Nature Genetics.
The £9 million study is one of the UK's largest and most successful academic collaborations to date. It has examined DNA samples from 17 000 people across the UK, bringing together 50 leading research groups and 200 scientists in the field of human genetics from dozens of UK institutions. Over two years, they have analysed almost 10 billion pieces of genetic information.
The study has substantially increased the number of genes known to play a role in the development of some of our most common diseases. Many of the genes that have been found are in areas of the genome not previously thought to have been related to the diseases.