Genetics of Common Diseases Future Therapeutic and Diagnostic Possibilities

Genetics of Common Diseases: Future Therapeutic and Diagnostic Possibilities is a unique collection of articles by leading authorities in disease genetics research. It presents the principles of analysis of genetic diseases and a range of potential approaches to their management, ranging from conventional drugs to gene therapy, which might utilize the knowledge of genotype-specific risks. The value to the general population of the ability to diagnose and predict the risk of various diseases is assessed.

Many common diseases are partly attributable to the genes which an individual inherits. Early steps have now been made in developing ways to determine which genetic variations are important, with some recent successes. In parallel, ways to improve healt

Contributors -- Abbreviations -- Preface -- 1 Perspectives in human linkage studies. /S. Povey -- Pairwise linkage analysis of Mendelian traits -- Finding the cause of a disease which shows clear Mendelian inheritance -- After a LOO score of +3, what next? -- Narrowing the search by searching for critical recombinants -- Linkage disequilibrium -- Linkage analysis in more complex situations -- Linkage in complex traits -- Why are we doing this? -- References -- 2 Twin research: nature versus nurture in common diseases. /K.O. Kyvik -- Introduction -- History -- Biology of twinning -- Demography -- Twin studies -- Assumptions -- T he concept of concordance rates -- Heritability -- Twin studies and common diseases -- Other types of twin studies -- Conclusion -- References -- 3 The molecular basis of genetic variation: mutation detection methodologies and limitations. /E. Spanakis and I.N.M. Day -- Introduction -- Current theories of mutation -- Parallel development of theory with methodology -- Methods of mutation detection -- Limitations of current methods for mutation detection -- Our approaches -- Conclusions -- References -- 4 Finding susceptibility genes for schizophrenia. /M.J. Owen and M.C. O'Donovan -- Introduction -- Molecular genetic approaches to schizophrenia -- Candidate gene association studies -- Conclusions -- References -- 5 Approaches to determining the genetic basis of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. /M. McCarthy -- Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) -- Overview of approaches to dissect NIDDM -- Choosing a candidate gene -- Exploring candidate genes -- Assessing genotype-phenotype correlations -- Understanding the biology of complex traits -- References -- 6 Population-scale genotype assays: APOE gene in Alzheimer's dementia and coronary risk. /I.N.M. Day, D. Palamand and E. Spanakis -- Introduction: availability of population-scale gene testing -- Background -- Some future possibilities -- References -- 7 Genetic tests for corona

Department of Medicine, University College London Medical School, The Rayne Institute, London, UK (address from October 1997: Wessex Human Genetics Institute, Southampton University Hospital, Southampton, UK). Department of Medicine, University College London Medical School, The Rayne Institute, London, UK.