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Human genetics: Hit or miss?

Nature volume 461, pages 712–714 (2009)Cite this article

Genome-wide association studies have identified hundreds of genetic clues to disease. Kelly Rae Chi looks at three to see just how on-target the approach seems to be.

Five years ago human geneticists rallied around an emerging concept. Technology had granted the ability to compare the genomes of individuals by looking at tens of thousands of known single-letter differences scattered across them. These differences, called single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs, served as reference points or signposts of common variation between individuals. The idea was that common variants in the genome might contribute to the genetics of common diseases.

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Authors
  1. Kelly Rae Chi
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Additional information

See Editorial page 697 , and the human genetics online special at http://go.nature.com/VqPUE2 .

Kelly Rae Chi is a freelance writer in Cary, North Carolina.

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A catalogue of published genome-wide association studies by the NHGRI

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Chi, K. Human genetics: Hit or miss?. Nature 461, 712–714 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/461712a

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