STRATEGIES TO IDENTIFY GENES FOR COMPLEX DISEASES

Genes underlie numerous human diseases and traits. Although we have wi tnessed a great deal of success in identifying disease-susceptible gen es, the task remains challenging for most of the complex diseases. Thi s paper reviews evidence for the role of genetic factors in complex di seases including breast cancer, diabetes and multiple sclerosis. We th en describe strategies that can potentially optimize our chance of suc cess in identifying genes involved in complex diseases. Advances in mo lecular biology, particularly mapping of the human genome, statistical methods that provide more accurate models of complex patterns of inhe ritance, and basic medical science, which have increased our understan ding of disease pathophysiology, will ultimately strengthen the abilit y of the current generation of genetic epidemiological studies to iden tify the genetic basis of complex human disorders.