Closing the Net on Common Disease Genes

摘要

After years of chasing false leads, gene hunters feel that they have finally cornered their prey. They are experiencing a rush this spring as they find, time after time, that a new strategy is enabling them to identify genetic variations that likely lie behind common diseases. By scanning the genomes of thousands of people and comparing the sick with the healthy, biologists are uncovering markers for DNA sequences they believe clearly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and other debilitating ailments.