The ability to conduct genetic association studies on a genome-wide scale has revolutionized approaches to reveal the genetic basis of autoimmune diseases. A comparison by Zhernakova and colleagues of the known susceptibility genes in 11 immune-related diseases reveals evidence for shared gene effects and common pathogenetic mechanisms.
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References
The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium. Genome-wide association study of 14,000 cases of seven common diseases and 3,000 shared controls. Nature 447, 661–678 (2007).
Barrett, J. C. & Cardon, L. R. Evaluating coverage of genome-wide association studies. Nat. Genet. 38, 659–662 (2006).
Zhernakova, A., van Diemen, C. C. & Wijmenga, C. Detecting shared pathogenesis from the shared genetics of immune-related diseases. Nat. Rev. Genet. 10, 43–55 (2009).
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Vyse, T. Unraveling the genetics of autoimmune disease. Nat Rev Rheumatol 5, 187–188 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2009.42
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2009.42
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