1. ¹INSERM U535, University Paris Sud, Villejuif F-94817, France
2. ²Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
3. ³Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Correspondence: Dr C Bourgain, INSERM U535, University Paris XI, Genetique Epidemiologique et Structure des Populations Humaines, Hopital Paul Brousse, Batiment Leriche, B.P. 1000, Villejuif, Cedex 94817, France. Tel: +33 1 45 59 53 85; Fax: + 33 1 45 59 53 31; E-mail: bourgain@vjf.inserm.fr

Received 1 June 2006; Revised 12 September 2006; Accepted 27 October 2006; Published online 13 December 2006.

Abstract

With the availability of dense maps of anonymous and frequent SNPs spanning the whole human genome, genome-wide association studies are now becoming a reality. In this paper, we discuss the utility of these approaches to detect genetic risk variants involved in complex disease susceptibility and, in the best case scenario where a signal is detected, how helpful it will be to the understanding of the pathological process.